Forbidden
by Thepinkhouseowner
Summary: He's a world-famous actor, she's just a simple costume designer for the film he's starring in. He likes blondes, fake boobs and good times. She is gentle, genuine and quietly beautiful. Not even a one night stand could ever happen... could it?
1. Chapter 1

Forbidden

**Yes, I'm back! This is my brand new story, and it's only my second one to be published, so please be nice :-P**

**Please review, because I really want to know what you think of it, and hopefully I'll get enough comments to make me want to continue! Also, I've never worked on a film set before, so please don't hesitate to lecture me on how wrong I got things- it would really help if I knew more about what I was writing.**

**Just a quick notice about the bands/artists mentioned in this story: none of them are fiction, they do actually exist! Look up some of their singles, they're absolutely incredible, and I can't believe they're not more popular than they are. Also, Kassidy and Dry the River make up a lot of my writing music : - ) **

**Now that's out the way, please enjoy!**

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Guinevere Leodegrance sat up in bed and smiled. Today was the first day at her new job: a costume designer on the set of Uther Pendragon's new film, _The Sword in the Stone. _She was incredibly lucky to have been employed by the world-famous film company: Uther was known as the best producer in film history, and personally chose each of his employees. He never used actors that weren't from famous families, and his own son, Arthur, as well as his adopted daughter Morgana Le Fay, were automatically given a role in every production. Many people scoffed at his "ridiculous" methods, but strangely, they seemed to work; he was yet to make a film that didn't get anything less than five-star reviews from all critics.

The entire film was going to be filmed over eighteen months; seven in a castle in France and on location, and seven in some studios in Wales, leaving four months for editing and adding in the special effects. Technically, Gwen had started work three months ago, sketching and designing, planning and sewing with the costume department until their ideas had come to life. She had now successfully made six dresses, and the chief costume designer had been so impressed that she had automatically been promoted to being in charge of dresses for the actress Morgana Le Fay, hence the reason for her getting the train to France today. This meant she would always be with Morgana, who would be filming there at the castle, making fittings and transportation a lot easier.

So, an hour and a half later, it was to find Gwen boarding the Eurostar and making her way down to the carriage that had been reserved just for the film crew. Eventually she found her allocated seat (one of four around a table), and shoved her heavy suitcase onto the rack above her. For a couple of minutes she just sat there, taking in her surroundings as people started to fill up the seats around her. After a while a woman with long black hair and a pale complexion sat herself in the seat next to her, resting her purple Mulberry bag on her lap. She was dressed all in black except for the silver jewellery she wore on her wrists and around her neck, and quickly checked her Blackberry before putting it back in her jacket pocket and turning to face Gwen with a smile on her face.

'Hello,' she said warmly, 'I'm Morgana Le Fay, an actress. Who are you?'

'Guinevere, but most people just call me Gwen,' replied Gwen shyly. She could honestly say that she was starstruck- Morgana was one of the biggest film stars of all time, and she was sitting in the seat next to her.

'Gwen? Gwen as in the woman who's been promoted to designing my dresses for the entire film?'

Gwen nodded, and Morgana's smile became even wider. 'Well, this is brilliant! I've seen some of your work, Gwen, and that purple and blue dress- I think you might actually be my soulmate. It's like you could read my mind, or something- that's exactly the kind of thing I was secretly hoping for!'

She blushed under the woman's compliment. 'Well, Gwen,' continued Morgana, 'I have a feeling we're going to be very good friends- at least I hope so, because if not, we're stuck with each other for the next year and a bit!' she laughed, and Gwen joined in, but both quickly stopped at the sight of a tall, blonde man striding down the aisle towards them. 'Oh god,' muttered Morgana, 'Brace yourself, here he comes…'

The man stopped in front of them, and now he was nearer Gwen could examine him better. He had a slight tan, despite the fact that it was only May, and was wearing no jacket over his black top, displaying his muscles quite nicely. His clear blue eyes barely glanced at Gwen, instead focusing on Morgana. The woman in question looked up at him with obvious disdain. 'Arthur. A pleasure, as always,' she said sarcastically, and Gwen had to stop herself from grinning at the sight of this Arthur person rolling his eyes. 'Been bullying anyone lately?'

Arthur ignored her comment. 'Father's on the platform, he wants to talk to you about something,' he said curtly. Morgana nodded once and then turned back to face Gwen. She opened her mouth to say something, but Arthur cut her off before she even had the chance to begin. 'He wants to talk to you _now, _Morgana; you know he doesn't like to be kept waiting.'

Groaning, Morgana stood up. 'I bet he just wants to tell me off for disagreeing with him last night; I'll be back in a minute, Gwen,' she said, and then looked across at Arthur again. 'However wonderfully important you are, Arthur, you might want to move; you're blocking the aisle.' It was true; there was now a rather long queue forming behind the blonde, something that he seemed to have remained oblivious to. Scowling, Arthur sat himself down in the seat opposite Gwen's and looked her up and down.

She was beautiful, he decided. Her black ringlets fell halfway down her back, and she dressed modestly, with a cardigan over her stripy t-shirt. He would get her, he decided suddenly. She would be her next conquest; he could do with a change from all the fake blondes he had encountered on his most recent trip to Ibiza. He wasn't looking for a relationship, of course- Arthur Pendragon never did relationships. But a couple of weeks of sex… that was something he could he could cope with. So he straightened up in his chair and flashed her an award-winning smile.

'Hi,' he said in what he hoped was a seductive voice. She looked across at him and smiled once.

'Hi,' she replied, and then went back to drawing whatever she was drawing in her notebook.

Excellent, he thought, it was working already. 'I'm Arthur,' he continued, holding out a hand. 'Arthur Pendragon.'

'I'm-' she began, but was interrupted by a man sauntering up to them. He had dark brown hair that rested just above his shoulders and a rather cheeky grin on his face.

He sauntered up the aisle and stopped in front of Gwen, doing a double take when he saw her and practically oozing charm. Perching himself on the edge of Morgana's still empty seat, he made a small flower appear out of thin air and held it out to Gwen. 'I believe this belongs to you,' he said in a strong Irish accent, his smile never leaving her face. He tried to place it in her hair, but she swerved out of his way.

For some reason, this man seemed familiar.

'I don't think so,' she said, smiling at his confidence. This man was going to be fun to have around, she could tell already; probably the life and soul of every party, judging by the faint smell of alcohol surrounding him. 'It's not my colour.'

'Well,' he carried on, undeterred. 'Let us see.' He reached forwards again, and this time succeeded in tucking it into her curls.

'I bet you've got a whole bunch of those to hand out,' she said, but the man held up his hands, showing her both sides of each one.

'Yours is the only one,' he said, winking. Gwen couldn't help it; she laughed. Who was this man, and how was he so confident, even though she kept knocking him back?

'I'm Gwaine,' he added, his eyes not leaving her face as they shook hands.

Gwen smirked. 'Nice to meet you, Gwaine. Now, if you'll excuse me…' she gestured to her sketchbook, but just as she put her pencil on the paper he spoke again.

'You haven't told me your name!' he looked her up and down, oblivious to her embarrassment- or maybe he _had _noticed, and was simply having a bit more fun. 'You look like a princess,' he went on, 'So it's probably something like Sophia, or Esmerelda.' He grin became wider. 'That's it. Princess Esmerelda!' he pretended to bow to her, and several people looked across at what was happening, causing Gwen's cheeks to burn.

'Stop it, people are staring,' she hissed, avoiding everyone's gaze.

Gwaine straightened up from his bow. 'Not until you tell me your name.' he smirked.

'It's Gwen,' she said quickly to avoid further mortification, and Arthur smiled. Gwen. It was a beautiful name.

'There,' said Gwaine softly. 'That wasn't too hard, was it?'

Gwen had had enough, and pushed herself off her seat. 'I'm going to go and get myself a coffee,' she told him, praying with all her might that he wouldn't follow.

'I'll get it for you,' he said, smiling. 'A princess shouldn't have to buy her own food.'

She sighed. Was this man ever going to stop? 'Unfortunately, I'm not a princess.'

'You are to me.' Gwen's amusement and despair must have shown on her face, because he continued, 'This really isn't working, is it?'

Gwen shook her head. Finally. 'No. But I like that you kept trying and that you knew when to give up.' She took the flower out of her hair and handed it back. 'Here, you'd better have this- in case someone else takes your fancy.'

He began to walk back down the aisle and towards an empty seat in the distance. 'I've only eyes for you!' he called to her over his shoulder, and she laughed again.

'I'm sure,' she grinned, and went back to sketching in her book. Suddenly, she realised where she had seem Gwaine before- he was _Gwaine Legend, _the actor famous for his womanising ways.

Meanwhile, Arthur sat sullenly in his seat, silently furious. This _Gwen _hadn't so much as glanced at him! She obviously didn't think he was worth including in the conversation… she obviously wasn't worth his attention either, he decided, and made himself a pact that he would never want her in that way again. Just then, another man who looked to be in his early twenties came practically bouncing towards them. He had ears the size of dinner plates, skin as pale as Morgana's and was wearing a large goofy grin.

'Arthur!' he said happily. 'I've been looking for you everywhere- I got you your coffee like you wanted me to, look-' he put the coffee cup down on the table, but someone pushed past him and he was knocked, sending the drink all over himself. For a moment he just stood there, looking like a complete idiot; his hair, face and jumper were all dripping wet. 'Oh,' he said, shaking his head experimentally.

'Here,' said Gwen kindly, fishing some tissues out of her bag. 'Have these.'

'Thanks,' he replied gratefully, the goofy smile returning. He sat himself down next to Arthur and began to dab away and rubbed the tissues vigorously over his hair, and then took off his hoodie to reveal one of the skinniest bodies Gwen had ever seen. He was practically a skeleton. He looked up and caught her staring, and she blushed. What was it with her cheeks today? 'Don't worry, people stare at me all the time,' he said. 'I do eat, honest, it's just that this one here-' he jabbed his thumb towards Arthur, who didn't even look up from his iPad, '-keeps me working and fetching and carrying all day.'

Gwen immediately felt sorry for the boy. It was clear that Arthur wasn't a nice person to work for. 'I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen. I'm Morgana Le Fay's personal costume designer.' She held out her hand, and he shook it.

'I'm Merlin, but most people call me idiot. I'm his royal highness' PA.'

She giggled. Merlin was a very cheerful and funny person to be around, she could already see that. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to rub off on Arthur. Just when she was just about to ask how long he had been working for Arthur, Morgana returned, plonking herself down on her seat. 'Stupid man,' she grumbled under her breath.

'Watch your tongue,' said Arthur sharply, finally looking up. 'That's my father you're talking about.'

'He's accused me of drawing up a contract with Cenred!' exclaimed Morgana, slumping back on the headrest. 'He thinks I'd betray him!'

Arthur rolled his eyes. 'Morgana, you know he's got his reasons for suspecting you. Ever since you met Morgause-'

'Oh, that's right, just bring Morgause into it, like you always do,' she shot back. 'Yes, I admit she's got a bit of a shady past, but-'

'Children, children,' said Merlin, a small smile still on his face. 'Let's not argue about Morgause again. Morgana has a right to stay in touch with her sister, which will of course make Uther suspicious, but deep down him- and Arthur- know you would never go over to Cenred's company. Sorted?'

'Fine,' both Arthur and Morgana huffed. There was an awkward pause for a moment, and then Morgana turned to Gwen. 'So, do you have any more design ideas yet?' she asked eagerly.

She smiled at her enthusiasm. Morgana was going to be a very easy person to work with. 'Well, I've been given a list of the scenes you're going to be in, and what kind of look they want you to have, and for the one where you're in the cave to meet Mordred I was thinking…'

Their conversation carried them all the way until lunchtime, when a woman came down the aisle with a trolley overflowing with food. Gwen immediately bought twice as much food as she usually would and then gave half of it to Merlin. 'But I've already got this!' he protested, holding up the smallest sandwich Gwen had ever seen.

'Eat,' she said sternly.

Morgana laughed, and even Arthur smirked. Grudgingly, Merlin picked up one of the chocolate bars and began to pick at it slowly.

'So,' said Merlin through a mouthful of food, 'Gwen. What kind of music do you like? Anything we'd know?'

'I like a bit of everything, really,' she admitted, starting on her packet of crisps. 'I like all the big bands, like Kasabian and Muse, but I also like the less-famous ones, like Kassidy.'

Arthur gaped at her. 'Sorry, did you just say Kassidy?'

'Er, yeah,' she replied, slightly confused. He was probably just going to tease her for not listening to more well-known music. To her surprise, his face broke into a wide smile.

'They're one of my favourite bands of all time! You're the first person I've ever met who actually knows who they are. When did you discover them?'

'A year or so ago,' she said. 'My mum always told me that-' she stopped suddenly. Talking about her mum was too painful.

Arthur skimmed over the half-finished sentence, recognising her sudden discomfort. 'I don't suppose you've heard of another band called of Dry the River, have you?' he asked hesitantly.

She stared at him. 'This is unreal- I've finally met someone who actually listens to the same music of me.' And it had to be the arrogant prat, she added in her head.

'Well, at least that's one thing you have in common,' said Morgana. 'Meanwhile, the rest of us listen to _popular _music, like Nero and David Guetta.' Gwen smiled. She liked that kind of music, but not as much as the little bands.

An hour later, they finally arrived at the station in Paris, where they were greeted by several official-looking people who escorted them to a rather large amount of coaches. Their luggage was collected for them and was thrown into several vans, which then followed the coaches as they began to travel through the city. The hum of voices gradually became louder and louder with excitement as they left they motorway, and Gwen looked over at Morgana, who was in the seat next to her. 'When's your first scene being filmed?' she asked, beginning to map out a timeline for dressmaking in her head.

'The day after tomorrow, I'm filming in the evening. You know what that means?'

'What?'

'We have a whole day for sightseeing! I've looked up where we're staying, and there's an amusement park a few minutes away from the hotel- are you up for it?'

Gwen shrugged. It wasn't like she had any other plans- she started on the same day as Morgana- so why not? 'Okay.'

A rather tall-looking man who was sitting in the seat behind them patted Morgana on the shoulder, causing both the women to look round at him. 'Hi,' he said, and Gwen instantly recognised who he was- Leon Knight, one of Morgana's fellow actors and an old friend of Arthur's. 'Did you just say you were going to the park tomorrow?' he asked, and Morgana nodded, a light pink flush appearing on her face. Gwen smiled to herself; this job was _certainly _going to be fun.

Leon, however, seemed to completely miss her blushing. 'Well, Percival and I-' he indicated to the very muscly actor Percival King, who was sitting in the seat next to him, '-were thinking about how we'd like to check it out, too. How about we all go together?'

'That'd be great,' smiled Morgana, now having regained her composure. 'So if we meet after breakfast outside the front of the hotel, and then-'

'The amusement park?' came a voice. Gwen looked across at the seats opposite them and groaned; it was Arthur who had spoken. 'Because if you guys are going, then me and Merlin'll come along too, otherwise it'll just be a day of going over lines in the hotel.'

Morgana rolled her eyes, but under the Leon and Percival's pleading gazes she relented. 'All right, then.'

Arthur grinned triumphantly. He really didn't want to spend the day with his father lecturing him on how he wanted the part to be played. 'Right,' said Morgana. 'So after breakfast we'll all meet outside the hotel and just walk down from there, okay?'

They all agreed, and then gradually broke back down into their original conversations. After a while, they finally drove past one of the most beautiful castles Gwen had ever seen. The turrets towered above them and the white stone was so clean and _new-_looking it was almost unbelievable. 'And that, ladies and gentlemen,' came a voice over the loudspeaker, 'Is where we will be filming over the next few months!'

Everyone cheered, and then they drove straight past it. In answer to everyone's confused moans, the driver called out, 'Sorry, guys, I've been instructed to take you straight to the hotel- no sightseeing today.'

Eventually, they arrived outside a large hotel called "L'interdit". 'Sunglasses on, hoods up!' someone shouted, and everyone except Gwen obeyed.

'What are you doing?' she asked Morgana, who was fishing a hoodie out of her bag. 'It's not raining, and it's really not that sunny.'

'Tourists,' explained Morgana. 'Even abroad, we get recognised, so it's best to keep our faces hidden against all the cameras. Someone will have got hold of the fact that we're staying here and news like spreads like wildfire, so it's likely that there'll be a few cameras outside the doors.'

Sure enough, when they stepped out it was only to be completely blinded by the flashes of several cameras; the reporters kept up a stream of questions, all fired at Leon, Gwaine, Percival, Arthur and Morgana: 'Are you excited about this new film? Is this different to anything you've ever done before? Do you think this film has the potential to have a sequel?' the questions never seemed to end, even whilst they were collecting all their suitcases from the luggage compartment of the coach, but thankfully security appeared and they were ushered inside without having to answer.

They were shown straight into the lobby, where some hotel workers gave them their keys to their rooms and showed them up the stairs and into the correct corridors. After thanking them in very bad French, Gwen and Morgana made their way down the corridor to discover that their rooms were just six doors apart- rooms one hundred and seventy-two and one hundred and seventy-eight. Morgana promised to come to Gwen's room as soon as she had used her bathroom to freshen up and put down her bags, and Gwen happily agreed.

Her room was plain, but beautiful. A large double bed with cream sheets was the centrepoint, and a small dressing table with a coffee machine stood next to the window. At the end of the bed was an open wardrobe, and one of its shelves was holding a rather large television. There was a small bathroom to her left, in which the mirror was surrounded by small lights. Just as Gwen was beginning to unpack some of her clothes, there was a knock on the door and she went over to let Morgana in. 'Yours is exactly the same as mine!' she gushed, going over and lying down on the bed. 'Isn't it gorgeous?'

'It really is,' Gwen agreed, going back to unpacking.

'I've got some bad news, though,' said Morgana after a slight pause. 'Arthur is staying in the room opposite yours.'

She stopped unpacking and looked round at her new friend. 'Crap. Does that mean I'll probably be walking to work with him most of the time?'

'Don't worry, I think we'll all be walking together. Anyway, why would it be a bad thing if it was just the two of you? You've both got your music to talk about.'

'The fact that we share the same music interests does not overrule the fact that he's an arrogant prat,' she replied, before remembering that this was his adopted sister she was talking to. Thankfully, Morgana laughed.

'Thank god you're not hypnotised by his alleged good looks like most of the girls he meets! I'm telling you, every time we all go out to a club or wherever, nearly all the girls come on to him. No wonder he's such a womaniser.'

Gwen grinned. 'I saw the pictures of him and that blonde in Ibiza from a couple of weeks ago. For some reason, he doesn't come across as the settling down type…'

A knock on the door interrupted their discussion, and Gwen opened it to find the man himself standing in front of her. 'Arthur!' she said, surprised. 'How can I help you?' she was struggling to be civil to him after how he had spoken to everyone on the train.

He ignored her completely, and instead just said, 'Is Morgana here? She's not in her room, so I thought she'd probably be with you.'

'I'm here,' called Morgana, sitting up. Arthur raised his eyebrows at her messy hair from lying on her back, but didn't comment. Instead he said, 'We're all going out for dinner at a restaurant tonight- we being all the people who actually matter in the film, like the main actors and producers. Are you coming?'

Gwen had to physically bite her tongue to stop the snappy retort spilling out of her mouth. _Only the people who actually matter? _Didn't he realise that without the backstage cast, there would be no film at all?

Morgana seemed to also recognise his mistake. 'I'll come,' she said angrily, 'But only if Gwen comes with me. What kind of actors would we be if we didn't have anything to act with?'

For a moment he looked as if he was about to protest, but under Morgana's stern gaze he relented. 'Fine. We're meeting in the hotel lobby at quarter to seven, and then the car's taking us from there. It's formal dress code, the restaurant's quite upmarket.' He nodded once at both of them and then left for his own room, pulling out his phone and dialling a number as he shut his door.

Morgana turned to face Gwen. 'Right, well, I suppose I'd better go and choose an outfit for tonight. Shall we go and get a coffee somewhere first, though? I'm running low on caffeine.'

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'Wow,' said Merlin, causing Arthur to turn round. In the doorway to the lobby stood Gwen and Morgana, both looking radiant. Morgana was in a low-cut red dress, and Gwen was wearing a short black dress accompanied by a small white blazer. Both had their hair loose and flowing.

Arthur felt his throat dry up as they walked towards him. He had promised himself he wouldn't have anything to do with Gwen, so why was she having this affect on him? Instead, he turned his attention on his half sister. 'Morgana,' he said in the warmest voice he could muster. 'You're looking as beautiful as ever.'

Morgana laughed, patting him on the arm. 'Don't worry, Arthur,' she said. 'You don't have to pretend to be interested in what I wear.' Arthur grinned, immediately relieved that he wouldn't ever have to pretend to be a courteous gentleman with Morgana.

Meanwhile, Gwen was getting several looks from the male actors dotted around the room, most looking rather disappointed when they realised she wasn't anyone famous. Everyone knew the golden role of working for Uther; don't get involved with anyone who isn't a celebrity. Merlin, however, was feeling rather lucky; he wasn't an actor and would never be on screen, meaning that he could go out with whatever girl he wanted- well, at least any girl who didn't act for Uther.

He smiled across at Gwen, who was watching Arthur and Morgana bicker gently with a smile on her face. 'You look beautiful,' he said politely, taking in her long bare legs and invisible make-up.

Her smile became even wider. She liked Merlin- he seemed very genuine. 'Thanks,' she replied warmly. 'The dress isn't too short, is it? It's the only smart one I thought to pack and I'd forgotten how small it was.'

'It's fine,' he assured her, just as one of the hotel workers came in to tell them that the cars had arrived. They all made their way outside and crammed themselves into the limousines lining the kerb; Gwen was in one with Morgana, Arthur, Merlin, Gwaine, Percival and Leon, and found herself uncomfortably crammed inbetween Arthur and Gwaine. To say it was an uncomfortable seating plan was an understatement- she could feel Arthur determinedly ignoring her and every time she looked at Gwaine he sent her a flirtatious wink. It was certainly a relief when they arrived at the restaurant and took their places at the six large tables that had been reserved for their party. When they got there, Gwen realised how stupid it had been to get a lift there; it couldn't be more than a five-minute walk from the hotel. What happened to saving the planet?

This time, Merlin and Morgana were on either side of her, but their table was still made up of the people from their limo, meaning that seated opposite her was Arthur, who for some reason was _still _ignoring her. Why was he being so rude? It couldn't be just because she wasn't an actress, was it?

Apart from that, dinner ran very smoothly indeed, apart from the awkwardness between Arthur and herself. By the end, nearly all Gwaine's sentences were nonsense and slurred, so the seven of them decided to leave in order to take him back before Uther had the chance to see the state he was in. He had never been fond of Gwaine's drinking habits, so it was probably best to hide it form him.

As they all walked- they couldn't be bothered to wait for the car to pick them up at the proper time, and besides, Gwaine looked like he could do with the fresh air- Gwen was silently cursing herself for choosing to wear her heels. She was hardly walking at all; Gwaine had chosen to put his arms round hers and Leon's shoulders, meaning they were being forced to stagger along on either side of him, effectively propping him up. When they finally got back, Gwaine was left at the hands of Percival and Leon, who's were rooms were closest to his, and then Merlin left for his room, which was in the corridor next to the other three's. Arthur and Gwen said goodbye to Morgana at her door, and then continued down the corridor to their rooms in silence. There was an awkward pause as they stopped outside Arthur's door, and then he said, 'Well, night.'

'Night, Arthur,' she replied, and let herself into her room to get ready for bed. As she pulled the covers up to cover her rather cold body, she went over the day's events, smiling to herself. Yes, Arthur Pendragon had turned out to be an insufferable prat who didn't care for anyone who didn't appear on the big screen or came up with the film itself, but she had made several new friends and they were all going to the amusement park tomorrow.

Yes, working for Uther had definitely been the right choice.

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Yaaay, the first chapter's complete! So what did you think? Was it really horrendous? Will you PLEASE follow this story? Can you criticise/compliment me on the reviews? Oh, and thank you for reading!

p.s. The next chapter will be up in a few weeks.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The next morning, Gwen was woken by sunlight streaming through the curtains, casting her room in a bright light. She checked her phone; it was six o'clock. Sighing, she got out of bed, reasoning that she might as well take a shower before breakfast. By the time she had dried her hair after the shower and had dressed herself in shorts and a t-shirt, it was time to go and meet the others for breakfast, so after throwing a cardigan and a pair of gladiator sandals on and picking up her bag, she headed downstairs and made her way into the restaurant.

At the largest round able she found all six of their group having already started to eat without her, and as she sat down next to a bored-looking Morgana, Gwaine called out, 'All right, Princess?' and winked at her. She smiled, faintly amused by the man's still-flirtatious behaviour, and then began a conversation with Morgana about the plans for today.

'Are we staying at the park all day?' she asked while spreading jam on a croissant.

Morgana shrugged nonchalantly, taking a sip of her black coffee. 'It depends on the weather, because if it gets too cold then we'll probably come back here.'

'Hang on,' said Gwen suddenly, looking round at everyone who was sat at the table. 'Why's Gwaine here? He isn't coming with us, is he?'

'Well, he came down with Leon, and we couldn't exactly tell him to piss off, could we? Anyway, I'm jealous of him.'

'Jealous?' she frowned. 'Why?'

'Didn't you see how much he drank last night? And look at him now- he hasn't got even the slightest hangover!'

It was true- looking at him now, Gwaine just looked like he's had a good night's sleep as he laughed merrily at a joke Percival had just told. It was a moment before Gwen noticed Leon not-so-subtly gazing at Morgana, but the actress hadn't noticed. It was several seconds before he noticed Gwen watching him, and he cleared his throat awkwardly before going back to his toast. Gwen smiled; it seemed the attraction between Morgana and Leon was at both ends.

Once they had all finished eating, they made their way out of the hotel and down the road. It was at least ten minutes before the sounds of crowds and excited screams began to drift towards them. 'Well,' said Merlin, who was walking at the front of the group with Gwen and Morgana, 'All we have to do now is follow the screams.' Gwen and Morgana laughed.

It was when they arrived at the gates of the theme park that the first problems arrived. They all grouped back together and it wasn't long before they realised that none of them could speak French fluently. 'I took it for A Level in sixth form,' said Gwen doubtfully, 'But I don't really remember much.'

'Try it anyway!' encouraged Morgana, and Gwen sighed dramatically.

To her surprise, her French had not been forgotten in all the years since school. The words asking to pay for tickets and a map flowed out of her mouth perfectly, and even the man behind the desk complimented her on her accent. The entire group (although Arthur's sentence was laced with snideness) told her that although they couldn't understand a word she was saying, it was very impressive, with Gwaine going as far as telling her that she had sounded "extremely sexy". She laughed at the last comment as she handed out the tickets, avoiding Arthur's eyes. His compliment had definitely not been genuine.

Luckily, she had no idea what had been going through Arthur's mind as she was speaking French.

He had to agree with Gwaine: Gwen speaking French was extremely sexy.

Not that he'd ever tell her, of course.

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The first ride they went on was the biggest ride they could find: _Le Plus Grand, _a rollercoaster that that circled the entire park and weaved its way in and out of the trees. As they went down into the big drop, everyone screamed and threw their hands up in the air, including Gwaine, although when they asked him about it afterwards he denied it, because "real men don't scream".

Just before lunch, and after several more rides, they decided to try out the newest attraction: _Le Lacis, _which, Gwen read off the description, was an underground maze, with clues along the way to help you along the way to the middle and obstacles to throw you off course. 'I know!' said Morgana excitedly. 'To make it even better, why don't we split into teams to make it a race to the middle?'

Everyone agreed, but they were soon faces with a problem: they all wanted to be on Gwen's team. However, Gwen soon resolved the problem by asking a passer-by to pair them up. The man instantly put Leon and Morgana together, making both of them look very happy; Merlin was put with Percival, which meant that Gwen was with Gwaine and Arthur. Maybe the team idea hadn't been so great after all, thought Gwen grudgingly- her, Gwaine and Arthur, trying to work co-operatively? That would be the day.

'Let's go!' said Merlin, sounding like a small child, and him and Percival ran off down the tunnel. They all followed, but Gwaine and Gwen walked slightly behind Arthur, who seemed intent on the finding the middle on his own. She was walking next to Gwaine because he seemed like a laugh, something that Arthur definitely wasn't, and Gwaine was walking with her because she had a cleavage and Arthur didn't.

'Gwaine?' said Gwen, quietly enough so that Arthur wouldn't hear them. 'Can I ask you something?'

'Anything for you, Princess,' he grinned, and she pulled a face. She hoped that wasn't going to be her nickname from now on.

She paused. 'What does Arthur have against me?'

He looked her up and down. 'Do you want the full story?' he asked, and she nodded. He began, 'Well, I suppose you know that Arthur's mother died in labour when she gave birth to him, haven't you?'

Gwen nodded. Igraine Pendragon had been one of the most famous actresses of her time. 'Well,' he continued, 'It kind of… started Uther off on something. A few months after the funeral, a man came to him, and told him that he had been Igraine's lover for eighteen months prior to her pregnancy. Uther didn't believe him at first, but all the same, he had a parental test with Arthur. That bit's all right- Arthur really is Uther's son.

'Now comes the bad bit. It's believed that Uther truly hated this man with all his heart- and he had a good reason to, I suppose, because he _was _sleeping with his wife. This man worked for Uther- he was a set designer on one of Uther's films that Igraine was starring in. Naturally, he was sacked, so he left the company to go and make his own. The man's name was Cenred, and they've been enemies ever since.

'The reason that Uther tries so hard with his job isn't because of the money, or lifestyle, although he's grown to love those, too- it's all been to get back at Cenred for what he did to his wife's memory. Because Cenred was a backstage person, it gave Uther the ridiculous impression that no one is good in the film industry except the so-called "important people"; meaning the actors, the producers, basically the public know the name of.'

There was a slight pause, and then Gwen blurted out, 'But that's a load of crap!' causing Arthur to turn round and look at her with raised eyebrows. 'So that's why Arthur doesn't think I'm important?' she said in a slightly quieter voice. 'He's inherited his father's prejudice?'

'Not inherited, Gwen,' said Gwaine grimly. 'Taught.'

Their conversation came to a halt when they reached a dead end. 'Arthur,' said Gwaine, 'We were following you. You do know where you're going, don't you?'

'Yes,' he said furiously, running a hand through his hair. 'We should have gone that way, of course!' he gestured to the way they had just came.

Gwen nodded. 'Right,' she said, unable to stop the sarcastic comment that she had been itching to say. 'And that's why you led us in the opposite the direction, is it? To show us this lovely stone wall?'

He scowled. 'You show us, then, if you're so perfect!'

Gwen smiled. She had always liked a challenge. 'Fine,' she said. 'I bet you a tenner I can get us to the middle in under fifteen minutes.'

He smirked as he shook her hand. There was no way she would be able to do it. 'A tenner it is.'

She nodded at a sign that was nailed into the wall; of course, it was written in French, but she was able to translate it easily. 'Right,' she told Gwaine and Arthur, 'It says if we don't come across any obstacles, then we're going the wrong way.' She turned to look at the other two. 'We've had a pretty easy ride so far, haven't we? Which means that every turning we took was the wrong one.'

Gwaine laughed, patting Arthur on the back. 'Looks like you've been leading us round in circles mate,' he said, grinning.

Gwen led them back down the tunnel until they reached the first fork, and they took the opposite route than they had before, doing the same at each one. There were several more clues that continued to tell them if they were going the right way, and a couple of obstacles, like having to army-crawl through some miniature tunnels and wobbling along a _very _wobbly tightrope.

The first real problem they encountered was when they came to a three-part fork without any clues. 'Ah,' said Gwen. So far they had met quite a lot of people along the way, but this part was completely empty, and her voice bounced off the walls. 'Now what?'

Gwaine rushed forwards and went down the middle tunnel. 'I'll see what's down here,' he called back to them. 'You two check the other two, and we'll meet here in two minutes once we know which one's the right one.' They did as they were told, but both Gwen and Arthur found their tunnels to be dead ends, and after reaching the end they headed back to the meeting point. Gwaine still hadn't returned, so they stood awkwardly for a moment avoiding each other's gaze.

The silence was broken when a small child whizzed round the corner and crashed into Gwen, who went flying into Arthur, who was therefore knocked onto the ground. The small child looked stunned for a moment for muttering a small apology in French and then running off down the tunnel again. It was a moment before Gwen realised she was still lying on top of Arthur. 'Sorry,' she said quickly, moving to get up, before realising the only way she could get up would be to push against Arthur's chest.

'No, Guinevere,' said Arthur, who, unknown to Gwen, could now see a rather large amount of her cleavage from his position, as her top had been pulled slightly down during the fall. 'My pleasure.'

They heard footsteps, and then the pair of them looked up to see Gwaine standing above them, with one eyebrow raised. 'I'm sure you can explain this…' he smirked, not bothering to hide his amusement.

They got to their feet as quickly as they could, straightening their clothes. 'A… small boy ran through the tunnel and… Gwen fell on top of me.' Even as he said it, Arthur realised what a feeble story it was – even though it was true.

'Right,' said Gwaine suspiciously. 'Anyway, I found the right tunnel- shall we go?' they set off, and several clues and obstacles later, they reached the middle. Gwen checked her watch and grinned triumphantly. 'Twelve minutes,' she said triumphantly. 'Pay up, Arthur.'

Grudgingly, Arthur handed over a crisp ten-pound note. He wasn't even sure why he had it with him; it wasn't like he would be able to spend it in France. She was thanking him smugly when someone called Gwen's name and they turned round to see Morgana and Leon emerging out of the tunnel towards them. 'You beat us!' she exclaimed. 'Where are the Percival and Merlin?'

'Here!'

They ran towards us, and Merlin looked disappointed. 'You all beat us,' he said sadly. 'Can we get lunch now?'

They all set off down a certain tunnel that was lit with blue lights; it didn't join to any others and took them straight out to the exit. It didn't take them long to find the café, and they all crowded round a table to stuff themselves with the nicest burgers Gwen had ever tasted. Afterwards, it became obvious that they had all eaten far too much, because after just one more ride they all realised that if they went on anything else then it would be a miracle if they didn't throw up. Gwaine was all for staying for another few hours- some very attractive blondes were standing just a few feet away from them- but in the end they all agreed to go and see what they could find.

It was a lovely place, they soon found out: plenty of small boulangeries were everywhere, and there was a cinema next to the large lake that sat on the edge of town. The high street was packed with clothes shops, which pleased Morgana and Gwen greatly, and there was a large supermarket just a ten minute walk from the small park they had found. 'We'll come here tomorrow, Gwen,' said Morgana happily, linking arms with her new friend. 'I've been needing some new clothes for ages.'

At the back of the small group, Merlin was walking with Arthur. 'So,' said Merlin quietly, 'How's it going so far? The whole focusing-on-your-career-instead-of-sleeping-with-girls-every-other-night?'

Arthur grinned. 'Well, I haven't slept with anyone since Ibiza, so…' he paused. 'I'm glad you talked me into it, Merlin.'

Merlin smiled, digging his hands into his jeans pockets. 'No problem. It's time you grew up- you'll be twenty-five next month.'

'Don't remind me!' he groaned. 'That means I'll practically be an adult.'

The two men laughed.

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When they arrived back at the hotel, they all went into the private lounge, which had been reserved for the cast if the duration of their stay, and sat down on the long sofas, chatting quietly amongst themselves. The rest of the day passed quickly; they simply sat around chatting, still full up from their lunch and excitable at the prospect that the day after tomorrow they would be starting filming. Eventually, it was time for dinner in the hotel's restaurant, and shortly after they retired to bed.

The next day, as promised, Gwen and Morgana went shopping on the high street, returning with too many bags to carry and staggering into Morgana's room to try on their new purchases. It had taken a lot of persuading, but Morgana had managed to convince Gwen that buying the most beautiful dress was a good idea. As Gwen tried it on again to show Morgana, she knew she had made the right choice; it was the only tight dress that she had ever felt comfortable in. Morgana congratulated her friend on the choice of colour- the dark red made her skin look radiant- and they had celebratory champagne on her bed to praise themselves on their mammoth shopping spree.

It was that night that Gwen and Morgana got to know each other even better; it turned out that it wasn't only Gwen's tongue that was often loosened by champagne. She soon discovered that Morgana really did fancy Leon, and that Gwen hadn't been in a serious relationship for over a year. They made a pact to a have a girly night in at least once a month to relive themselves of the stress of work, because, strangely, Morgana always got extremely nervous about filming. Eventually, when it was nearing eleven, Gwen went back to her room to sleep off the alcohol, agreeing to meet Morgana for breakfast before starting work.

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The next morning, Gwen woke from a very nice dream. She couldn't remember what it had been about, but she knew there had been a picnic and a swimming pool… after a quick shower, she dressed herself and hurried down to breakfast. Morgana was already there, and after a couple of bagels each, they went outside to get picked up by one of the cars on the kerb, which took them to the edge of a field next to the castle. The hopped out and made their way across to the numerous trailers that were clumped together near the trees, and knocked on the door of the one that was labelled "Morgana Le Fay: costume changes".

The door was flung open to reveal a dumpy-looking woman with a pencil tucked into her flyaway grey hair. Her face brightened when she saw who it was. 'Excellent, excellent!' she said happily, ushering them inside. 'Lovely to see you again, Morgana, lovely to see you…' she shook Morgana's hand, who put on a forced smile as her hand was crushed and was then pushed down onto the only chair. 'Now, dear, you've got an hour before you need to be over at the castle, so if you-' she nodded at Gwen, '-could go and get dress number seven from the costume trailer, then we can dress you before doing your hair and makeup.'

Gwen did as she was told, going back outside and entering a trailer opposite Morgana's. It was a lot bigger with so many racks of costumes it was almost unbelievable. There were several people milling about, handing out costumes to others who were leaving through the back door. Gwen approached one of them nervously. 'I'm here to pick up dress number seven for Morgana Le Fay?' she enquired. The woman nodded once and smiled.

'Last one the left,' she told her, and sure enough, that was where Gwen found all of the dresses that she herself had made. The dress in the bag that had a large "7" printed onto it was one of her personal favourites; the royal purple silk had a slight train at the back, at an Indian-style light blue material was layered on top at the back; there were jewels encrusted into the sewing, something that had taken Gwen days of concentration to perfect. Next to it were the two "spares"- one for in case the original was lost or ruined, and the other for the stunt double to wear. As carefully as she could without creasing the material, Gwen picked up the original dress in its plastic bag and went back to Morgana's trailer.

When she arrived, nothing much had changed except Morgana's jacket was slung over the back of the chair she was slumped in, taking a sip from a polystyrene cup of coffee as she read through a piece of script. She looked up when Gwen shut the door, and smiled widely when she saw what she was carrying. 'Yay!' she squealed, sounding about ten years old and setting her coffee down on the small table. 'Everyone, this dress is proof that my good friend Gwen here is actually a mind-reader; it's as if she literally knew how I imagined the dress to be and she made it for me. It's incredible!'

Gwen blushed under the compliment whilst everyone else smiled politely; of course, she and Morgana were the only ones who had seen it before. Everyone except Gwen was then instructed to leave the trailer whilst she and the woman with the pencil in her hair helped Morgana into the dress carefully, doing their best to not damage or rip the material. Thankfully, the dress slid over the actress' head with ease and clung to her every curve, enhancing her cleavage but not enough to be deemed as inappropriate. Her hair hung loose down the back, and the rich colours highlighted her pale complexion. It was perfect.

The woman with the pencil, who Gwen learnt to be Alice, stepped back and clapped her hands together. 'Morgana,' she said, tears filling her eyes, 'I can honestly say that this is the best outfit I have ever seen you wear for a film.' Morgana laughed and turned round to Gwen.

'See? I told them,' she said proudly. 'I told them it was a good idea to let you be in charge of my dresses.' Gwen smiled, but was silently struggling to understand why Alice was actually _crying _over it. It was only a costume, however good it may be. As if she had read Gwen's mind, Morgana added, 'Oh, and don't worry about Alice- she cries over the smallest of things.'

As if to prove the point, Alice gave a watery smile and dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. 'Come on, then,' she said thickly, helping Morgana put on a long, thick coat over her dress and handing her some Uggs to put on. 'Let's get you over to the make-up department. Don't worry about your shoes- they don't look that comfortable, so we'll just give you them when you start filming. She made to pull Morgana out of the door, but Morgana grabbed Gwen's hand and dragged her along with them.

'You can't leave me alone with the make-up department; they're just a bunch of gossipy old hags. Honestly, you'd think they were journalists, the way they don't stop asking me about my private life,' she muttered as they walked across to another trailer. They weren't walking on the muddy field, but instead on the walkway that was made of wooden planks. 'It's so we don't get our costumes dirty,' Morgana explained as they entered yet another trailer.

This one was much larger than the other two Gwen had been in so far; it sort of looked like a hair salon. All the walls were covered entirely by mirrors and lights, and there were numerous men and women rushing about, some having make-up applied, some having their hair fixed, and others doing all the applying and styling. As soon as they shut the door a young woman rushed over to them, taking Morgana's coat but ignoring Gwen and Alice. 'Morgana!' she said sweetly, kissing the actress on each cheek. 'How lovely to see you again! We've got a lot to catch up on, haven't we?' as she led her over to a chair in the corner, Morgana looked back at Gwen and mouthed, _What did I tell you?_

Gwen grinned despite herself and went to follow her; she had a feeling that Morgana wouldn't wasn't to be left alone with this woman. When she arrived, Morgana had already been pushed down into a seat and brush was being run through her hair. 'Pull up a chair, Gwen,' said Morgana absent-mindedly as she watched Leon come into the trailer. When he saw them, a smile appeared on his face and he made his way over.

'Hi,' he said, putting down his rucksack and sitting down in the chair next to theirs. 'Looking forward to today?'

Morgana nodded eagerly. 'Yeah. Although I still can't-' she stopped talking when the hairdresser interrupted.

'Leon, if you'd just like to face that mirror- oi, Luce!' she shouted to a tall blonde woman on the other side, who was standing watching Gwaine as he appeared in the doorway. 'Come and do Leon's make-up for we, would you?'

Luce came across and picked up a box of products to put on the table in front of Leon and started to run her fingers through the man's hair. 'It could do with a trim,' she mused as Morgana watched with narrowed eyes. 'Anyway…' she bent down so that she was eye-level with Leon and started to brush a powder across his cheekbones. Gwen's attention was quickly turned back to Morgana when she was shown a picture of her eating an ice cream in a glossy magazine. 'Look at this' she said disgustedly. 'They've so little crap to put in their magazine that they've actually taken up half a page explaining where I was and who I was with while eating an ice cream last week.'

Gwen smiled. 'They must be desperate. Obviously this shows that you celebrities aren't doing enough interesting or embarrassing things in public.' Morgana laughed.

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Two hours later, they were finally finished in hair and make-up, so they made their way through the "walkway" and towards the castle. After a short walk , they finally passed under the large arc and into the courtyard.

It was absolutely stunning. The stone of the castle was so white and unblemished it was almost unreal, and the cobbled courtyard had an almost magical feel to it. Large steps led up to a regal-looking entrance, and a large statue of a knight on a horse stood proudly in front of them. 'Oh my god,' breathed Morgana, looking round at the turrets and alcoves. 'Isn't this just incredible?'

'It really is,' agreed Gwen, putting on her sunglasses as the sun came out from behind a cloud. Someone shouted Morgana's name, and the pair of them turned round to see no other than Uther Pendragon hurrying towards them.

'Morgana,' he said warmly, embracing her briefly before taking a step back to look at her. 'Excellent… we'll be ready to shoot in half an hour once the film crew have finished setting up, so don't go anywhere, okay? There's a coffee machine being set up in the corner, so help yourself.' He kissed her on the cheek quickly before going to chase after one of the cameramen.

'Come on, then,' said Morgana. 'I'm going to need a lot more caffeine if I'm going to get through today.'

'What do you mean, get through?' asked Gwen as they made their way over to the coffee stand.

'I told you, I get so scared before filming,' said Morgana quietly to avoid being overheard by the rest of the people queuing to get their supply of coffee. 'The first day's always the worst, but I suppose it gets better after that. It's just getting back into the routine of being someone else in front a camera that's difficult.'

'But what's there to be worried about?' said Gwen, feeling puzzled as they filled their polystyrene cups with hot brown liquid. 'You're a brilliant actress!'

Morgana smiled briefly. 'Thanks. I dunno, really, I just get so worried that I'll look ridiculous when we watch it back, or that I'll be the one thing that the critics pick up on that went wrong, or-'

'Morgana!' laughed Gwen as they stopped in an alcove and leant on a pillar. 'Stop panicking, you'll be fine!'

But she still wasn't convinced. 'How can you be sure?'

Their conversation was interrupted by Gwaine bouncing over to them and saying, 'Morning, Morgana!' he then bowed to Gwen and said in a deep voice, 'My lady.'

Gwen scowled. 'Joke's over now, Gwaine. Can you drop the whole "princess" thing now, please?'

He straightened up, grinning. 'No problemo!' he stole Morgana's coffee and took a swig before she could protest, and promptly spat it back into the cup. 'How strong do you have it?' he exclaimed. 'You could kill someone with this, I swear!'

'It's not that strong,' she protested.

'Is.'

'Isn't.'

'Is.'

'Isn't.'

They continued their bickering for quite some time until Arthur and Merlin arrived, Merlin in his normal clothes, Arthur in his armour and covered in "battle wounds". His face had been painted to look especially pale, and a long cut ran down the side of his face and onto his neck. Morgana grinned. 'Bloody hell, Arthur, I told you not to get on the wrong side of Aggravaine!'

Arthur laughed, also leaning against the pillar. 'It was actually John who did this to me.'

They continued to chatter until Aggravaine, the director, shouted to all the actors to get into their places. The extras went to pick up their props- baskets of laundry and various other things to carry- Morgana, after getting a brief hug from Gwen and swapping her Uggs for her character's shoes went to take her position at the foot of the steps, and Arthur went to the entrance of the courtyard, out of sight. There was a shout for all the non-actors to move out of shot, so Gwen went to stand behind the camera crew. To her surprise, however, Aggravaine called her across.

'You,' he barked, 'Aren't you Morgana's costume assistant?'

She nodded nervously.

'Then go and sort out her dress, it's flapping round her ankles! I want it flowing out behind her in the breeze as she awaits the return of her brother. Hurry up, we haven't got all day, and I'm on a tight schedule.'

Gwen hurried over to Morgana, and bent down to organise the material. 'No one told me I was meant to sort you out in between takes, sorry,' she muttered as she worked.

Morgana laughed. 'You worry too much, Gwen- almost as much as me. Don't worry about it, it's my fault- I forgot to ask you.'

Once she was done, Gwen went back to behind the cameras and waited for the filming to begin. The man ran across with the shutter, said loud and clear, 'Scene twelve, take one… and action.' The cameras began to roll, and Arthur limped through the archway, now completely in role. He called out softly, 'Sister!' and Morgana turned round, disbelief painted on her face.

She turned her body round so that she was now completely facing her brother. 'Impossible,' she whispered.

Arthur simply stood in the middle of the courtyard and they stared at each other until Aggravaine shouted, 'Cut!' the pair of them, and the extras, all relaxed out of their positions. 'Excellent,' said Uther approvingly, stepping onto the scene. 'I think we'll just run it through a few more times, though, just to be sure…'

It turned out that Uther's idea of a few more times actually translated as "enough times to keep us going for the next hour". It looked fine to Gwen, but it turned out that both the director and producer were perfectionists. Finally, after take twenty-three, Aggravaine called out, 'That'll do, then,', and they took a break for lunch.

There was just one more scene to do in the afternoon that involved Arthur and Morgana; Arthur was to enter the council chamber, drenched in sweat, to talk to the character Leon was playing, only to have Morgana to interrupt. The room it was being filmed in was a genuine one inside the castle, so once they were finished with their stew they made their way inside and everyone waited impatiently as Morgana, Arthur and Leon all had their costumes adjusted.

It was cooler inside, of which they were grateful; the last few takes they had done had been directly under the midday sun. Leon sat down in the throne, and once again Arthur stood out of shot as the make-up department covered in "sweat". 'Scene sixty-two, take one… and action!' Leon turned over the page he was pretending to read as Arthur skidded to a halt in front of him.

'They're here,' he panted, pointing to the door. 'They're here to get her.'

Leon stood up. 'Then we must alert Mordred. Gather the horses-'

Morgana stepped out from behind a pillar. 'They're here?' she whispered, looking wildly from one man to the other. 'This is it?'

Leon nodded grimly. 'Here we go.' The three of them strode out of the council chambers and went off to the left. 'Cut!' shouted Aggravaine.

'Lovely,' said Uther. 'Just a couple more times, then…'

But all Gwen could think of as they repeated the scene was of how nice Arthur looked when he was dripping with sweat and his shirt was sticking to his muscular chest.

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Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed/followed so far, I really appreciate it!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

**Hello!**

**First of all, sorry for not giving all you reviewers/followers a proper thank you yet, so here it is- THANK YOU! You have no idea how happy it makes me to open my emails and see that a load more people have decided to support my work : -) **

**I'm also going to apologise for the lack of length in this chapter, but that's only because it's the only place I was able to cut it.**

**This chapter has a poker scene in it- I've done my best not to make it so you have to be able to play to understand it, but please tell me if it gets too complicated and I'll make sure to simplify it in further chapters. Basic knowledge/dialect you might need to know: "chips" are the little counters that you bet with; "checking" means you don't want to put any more money in and "burning a card" is where you get rid of the top card in the pack each time you lay some down on the table (it's basically to make sure no one's fixed the order). **

**And finally, in answer to ****Crystal1998**** and ****Justineofqueens****'s questions: I've decided to not include them [Elyan and Lancelot] in this story, although Elyan may be mentioned a few times, but don't panic- I'm going to write a sequel in which they will both be in properly. Happy reading! Xx**

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As the weeks went on, Gwen's job seemed to only get better and better. Nearly every day people came up to her to congratulate her on the dresses she was making, something that made very happy indeed. Hers and Morgana's relationship did nothing but grow, the rest of the costume department turned out to extremely lovely and the food served when they were shooting scenes was delicious. Every weekend was free, her hours weren't too long and they still hadn't run out of things to do and places to see in the town. The only bad thing about it was Arthur.

It seemed that all he did was sulk. Whenever they all went out together, whether it was to a club or out to lunch, he would do his best to isolate himself from the rest of them, instead eyeing up any of the blondes that happened to be around (although he was careful not to let Merlin notice this particular one) and sit with his Blackberry. The only positive thing she could think of about him was his body. He had now shot several scenes without a top, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying the view each time.

One of these particular incidents of seeing him half-naked had possibly been one of the most embarrassing moments of her entire life. Merlin had been chatting with her in her room in the late evening- he had a strange tendency of turning up at the most random of times, sometimes in the middle of the night, which made her wonder if he ever actually slept at all- and had then gone over to Arthur's, but had left his neckerchief on her chair. Smiling as she picked up the thin piece of material, she went over and knocked on Arthur's door, suddenly realising that she was only dressed in what she wore to bed: a black vest and bra with nothing but a tiny pair of grey cotton hotpants. It was too late to turn back, so she stood her ground and hoped he wouldn't mind.

He answered the door in nothing but a pair of jogging bottoms, and her eyes immediately darted to his bare muscular chest. 'Guinevere!' he said uncomfortably, quickly noticing how scantily clad she was; her legs seemed to go on forever, and her skin looked so _touchable… _'What can I do for you?'

'Hm? Oh- oh yes. Um- Merlin left his neckerchief in my room- is he still with you?' she held out said item, talking to her feet. She couldn't believe she had actually struggled for words after seeing him half-naked.

'Oh. Right. Er, he just left. Do you want me to- hang on, what was he doing in your room at-' he checked the clock on the wall next to him, '-quarter to eleven?'

Gwen blushed. 'We were talking, nothing more. We're just friends.' She was slightly annoyed that he automatically jumped to conclusions, which was odd, because she was sure she would have done the same. Maybe it was just because it was Arthur, and everything he did annoyed her.

To her surprise, he laughed. 'I'm only joking. I still like to think of Merlin as a gangly teenage boy who isn't quite sure how to act around girls. Don't worry, I'll take it down to him.' He took the neckerchief out of her hands gently and continued, 'He'll freeze without it otherwise; you've seen how skinny he is, even though you've been fattening him up.'

She did her best not to look shocked at this sudden act of thoughtfulness. 'Don't look so amazed, Gwen,' he said, irritated. 'I'm not entirely horrible.'

'Well, no offence, but you don't exactly seem to be giving a very good impression so far,' she retorted, before remembering she was insulting a world-famous actor. 'Sorry,' she added quickly, even though she wasn't.

He paused. 'Don't judge a book by its cover, Guinevere.'

'What?'

'You know what I mean.' He turned his back on the door and strode down the corridor, disappearing out of sight around the corner. She stared after him, letting her confusion show on her face; what had he meant when he told her not to judge a book by its cover? And why did he continuously call her _Guinevere, _not Gwen?

Well, he was certainly infuriating, that was for sure.

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The men of their group- Arthur, Merlin, Gwaine, Percival and Leon, that is- were sitting on the courtyard steps one sunny day, taking a twenty minute break from work to eat the their silence was interrupted when Gwaine said suddenly, 'We need a boys' night out.' The others stared at him.

'That's a bit out of the blue!' said Leon idly, taking another bite out of his chocolate bar before leaning back and stretching. 'I've got to cut down on the chocolate,' he muttered to himself. 'I'm starting to train for the fighting scenes tomorrow, and I think it might kill me if I carry on eating like this.'

Arthur grinned at his oldest friend. 'Morgana doesn't seem to think so.'

Leon stared at him. 'What?'

He smirked again. 'Don't think I haven't seen the two of you together; the only time you take your eyes off each other is when one notices the other staring at them.'

Leon's face coloured. 'Shut up,' he said. He hated when Arthur forgot to be quiet and moody and turned into a man that loved to tease him. 'You don't know what you're talking about, you've never been in love-' but then he realised what he had just said and stopped talking.

Merlin spat out half his drink. 'What?' he exclaimed. 'You love Morgana?'

If possible, Leon's cheeks darkened even more. 'No- I mean yes- I mean- oh, piss off.' He turned back to Arthur. 'Anyway, as I was saying, you don't know anything about relationships, do you? You just sleep with any girl you want, without a second thought about what everyone else might be thinking-'

'What do you mean, what everyone else might be thinking?' said Arthur quickly, putting down his sandwich. 'What've the press been saying about me now?' he had long since stopped reading the rubbish the media made up about him and other celebrities, and instead relied on his friends to tell him all the important bits.

'It's not just the press, mate,' said Leon carefully. 'Everyone knows you like to sleep around, and now they're starting to think that there's an involvement of an alcohol problem and that it's taking an effect on your work.' The men all watched Arthur carefully, gauging his reaction. They had, of course, all noticed the change in the actor over the last couple of years: it had started slowly, with him having a few too many drinks every couple of weeks, but then the big nights out had become more regular and the number of girls they would find in his bed the next morning began to add up. They were all worried, of course, but it seemed Leon was the only one who dared to approach the subject. 'It needs to stop.'

'What?' said Arthur incredulously. 'You're calling me an alcoholic? Even though you hang out with Gwaine?'

'Hey!' protested Gwaine. 'When I'm drunk, I'm perfectly aware of what I'm doing, whereas you… well, when we went on that boys' weekend to Vegas, we only just managed to stop you from marrying that hooker at three in the morning. Look,' he continued hurriedly as Arthur opened his mouth to protest, 'We're not trying to spoil your fun, or saying that you should never touch a drop of alcohol again, just that you should… well, just cut back a bit, yeah?'

'But there's nothing else to do on a Friday night,' complained Arthur, fully aware that he sounded a moaning teenager. 'It's either go out and get hammered or stay in and watch a crappy French film that I don't understand a word of, and I bet that Merlin wouldn't-'

'That's it,' said Percival suddenly. 'Betting- we can have poker nights!'

The other men all agreed, though Arthur looked slightly disgruntled. First he gave up girls, then he gave up drunken, messy nights… oh, the things he was forced to sacrifice for his art!

'Excellent,' said Leon delightedly. 'See, Arthur, nights in don't have to be boring… we're all doing it, aren't we?'

They all nodded except Merlin, who simply looked down and muttered something. 'What was that?' said Gwaine curiously.

'I don't know how to play poker,' repeated Merlin, louder this time. The others stared at him.

'What? How can you have never played poker?' said Percival, raising his eyebrows. 'Surely there's a law that says everyone should have at least the basic gist of the rules?'

'I dunno,' said Merlin defensively, 'It just wasn't a big thing in the village where I grew up. None of my friends-'

'That's the problem, right there,' cut in Gwaine. 'You grew up in a _village, _where fun is yet to be invented.'

'Hey!'

'So, it looks like our poker nights are going to be teaching-Merlin-to-play-poker nights instead,' said Arthur. 'Well, this could be interesting…'

And interesting it was. However much they tried to coach Merlin on what the different coloured chips were worth, and why two aces was the best hand you could get, and why you should try and hide your cards from the other players, he simply couldn't seem to grasp the game. Three weeks later, Arthur had just got back from an interview with an extremely annoying reporter, and went into his hotel room to find the poker group already setting up for another game, although this time they were joined by new arrival: Gwen.

He shrugged off his coat and hung it on the back of the door, which clicked shut. The noise made Gwen look up from where she was sorting the chips out into different piles, and for a moment their eyes met. 'Guinevere?' he asked, perplexed. 'Not meaning to be rude, but what are you doing here?' he had, of course, meant to be rude: Gwen should know that poker was a game for men, and men only.

'Oh- I was just passing Merlin in the corridor, and he said he was on his way here to play poker, and then he sort of invited me along, and here I am- only if you don't mind, of course.' She said all of this very quickly, not wishing to talk to the arrogant man any longer than was necessary.

Arthur had half a mind to say yes he did mind, thank you very much, and would she please get out of his room while dressed in that oh-so-alluring playsuit, but then he saw Merlin's pleading face, realised how good friends those two must have become, and heard himself say, 'Not at all,', while plastering a fake smile on his face. It had been his New Year Resolution to be nicer to people he didn't like, after all. Oh, and she obviously wouldn't have ever played poker in her life, of course. Great. Just what they needed- another person to teach.

She smiled gratefully and sat down at the round table they had managed to rig up, shuffling the deck of cards at such a speed that even Gwaine- champion of poker- was unsure he was capable of before dealing them out. 'Right,' she said, looking to her right, where Leon was sitting. 'Who's banker?'

'I am,' said Arthur, and she handed over the rest of the cards to him as he looked to the player sitting on his left- Percival. 'Are you in?' he asked, cracking open his can of beer.

Percival moved some of his chips into the middle and said, 'Yeah, sure.' They then proceeded to work round the table as everyone put their bets in; thankfully, Merlin seemed to know how to play this part of the game. Arthur then proceeded to lay out the first three cards on the table, and looked across at Percival again, who put in another handful of chips and said quietly, 'I'll raise it by two hundred.' Everyone nodded, and matched the bet.

Once again they went round the table, everyone choosing to stick until they reached Gwen, who simply smirked and said, 'I'll raise it by another three hundred.' She put the right amount in the table and leant back in her chair, making sure her cards were still hidden.

Gwaine whistled, but they all matched her bet nonetheless. 'You're brave, betting against what I have.'

She raised an eyebrow. 'Oh, really?'

When they got to Arthur, he glanced at Gwen- he was sure she wouldn't dare to stay in after this bet- and said, 'I see your three hundred… and I raise you by another two hundred.' He put more chips in.

A collective groan was issued around the table, and everyone except Gwaine and Gwen threw their cards down and said, 'I'm out.' They all looked at the pair who had chosen to stay in, who grinned and simultaneously said, 'Ok,' as they matched the bet.

Arthur tried not to show his disappointment that they hadn't decided to pull out; his hand really wasn't that good, and he'd been relying on the rest of them being too scared. Grudgingly, he burnt a card and then laid down the next one; they all said, 'Stick.' He burnt the next card and then laid down the final one: an ace of diamonds. He looked down at his two cards- all he had was a four of diamonds and a king of spades. He had absolutely nothing, and hopefully neither did the others…

Gwaine laid down his cards. He had nothing either. 'Bugger,' he said, and took a large swig of beer.

'Bugger to you too,' said Arthur grumpily, displaying his own cards- Percival actually had the cheek to laugh at his misfortune. They all waited for Gwen to turn over her cards, and when she did, the shout from all the men in the room was so loud and sudden that it actually made him jump: she had two aces, the best hand you can get. He handed over the chips to her grudgingly, avoiding her smug expression as he heard her say, 'And _that, _Merlin, is how you play poker.'

They continued to play well into the night; Gwaine went out first, because of his reckless methods, then Percival, then Merlin ("Come on!" Arthur had groaned. "You were doing so well!"), and then Leon, so it was only Gwen and Arthur left. Because of this, and the fact that both had considerably large piles of chips in front of them, they were both starting to place bigger and bigger bets in each time, yet the game was still even; they would each win every other hand. Even so, none of the other men left- they all wanted to see if Gwen could finally be the one to beat Arthur. Then, at quarter to eleven, Gwen looked down at her cards and said, 'All in,' putting all of her chips into the middle of the table. Arthur raised an eyebrow, pausing to look at his own cards: two kings. He could beat her with that, couldn't he?

'Go on, then,' he said, and matched her bet before continuing, 'Since we're all in and whoever wins this one wins the entire game, shall we put our cards down?'

Gwen smiled. 'I'd rather not,' she smiled sweetly. 'I like to keep you in suspense.'

'You do know that in a poker game when you're both all in, it's traditional to lay down your cards?' he said through gritted teeth. He always played like this- why should she be the one to change it?

'I'd rather not,' she repeated, narrowing her eyes slightly. 'I have my own traditions.' Stupid man, she thought. She never played like this- why should he be the one to make her?

Arthur sighed, before laying out the first three cards: an ace of diamonds, an ace of hearts and a jack of spades, a combination he had never seen be laid out on the table before. He glanced across at Gwen, trying to gauge her reaction, but her face remained blank and expressionless. Slowly and carefully, he laid down the next card: a king of spades. Excellent. All he needed was another king…

He burnt one, and laid down the last card. Please be a king, please be a king, please be a king…

It was the king of hearts.

'Yes!' he whooped, throwing down his other two kings. 'There's no way in hell you've beaten me now, Guinevere!'

The room was silent for a moment; it was as if everyone was holding their breath. 'Actually,' murmured Gwen, leaning forwards and staring at him straight in the eyes, 'I think you'll find I _have _beaten you.' And she laid down the ace of spades and an ace of diamonds.

For a moment it all went silent, and then Merlin stated the obvious. 'Gwen's won.' The men laughed and cheered slightly drunkenly, some clapping. Gwen laughed with them and cracked open another beer as she stood up and stretched.

'But- but _how _can you have won?' said Arthur, flabbergasted. 'I mean- you're a woman, you shouldn't even be playing in the first place-' but he fell silent under Gwen's murderous glare, as did everyone else. Slowly and deliberately, she stood up, still clutching her beer.

Gwen was silent, but was fuming. So not only was he arrogant, he was also sexist! When was this man living, the medieval times? She decided to tease him a little- she was perfectly aware this morning when she had first put the playsuit on that it was a little on the small side, but hadn't thought much of it until now. She took another step closer so their bodies were almost touching, and whispered in his ear, 'Who cares if I'm a woman. If I was a man, that would mean I'd have another thing in common with _you, _Arthur Pendragon.' She looked up to meet his eyes, and was pleased to see him visibly nervous. 'And you want to know another great thing about being a woman?'

He shook his head, swallowing.

'We can draw men in without them realising, and then let them down. I find it's the best way to make them regret some of the things they've said or done, don't you?' and she tipped the contents of her beer bottle over his head, before waving at Merlin and walking out of the room. They heard her own door slam shut a moment later.

Gwaine let out another low whistle. 'Bloody hell. You idiot, Arthur. Why on earth would you say something like that in front of _Gwen, _of all people? Some of the blonde bimbos you like to shag might not care about you saying things like that, but she certainly will.' He paused. 'I'm going back to my room. Night, everyone.' Slowly, then rest of the men grabbed their coats and also left. Finally, it was just Merlin and Arthur standing opposite each other.

'I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I'm agreeing with Gwaine on this one. You're an idiot.' Merlin's voice was icier than Arthur had ever heard it. 'If you ever hold that fact that's someone's a woman against them again, I'll thump you. And believe me; I'm stronger than you look.' And with that, he grabbed his own jacket and strode out, the door shutting with a click behind him, leaving Arthur standing in the middle of his room on his own, dripping wet and feeling strangely guilty about what he'd said.

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It was quarter to twelve in the morning, but Gwen was still lying wide awake, fully dressed, on top of her bed. All she could think of was what Arthur had said to her. He had no right to say that to her- is that what he really thought, that she really wasn't meant to play poker? He was stupid, she thought, and it was a stupid, stupid thing to-

Someone knocking at her door snapped her out of her reverie, and she went over to look out of the peephole; for some reason, it didn't surprise her to see Arthur standing there. 'What do you want, Arthur?' she said tiredly. She really wasn't in the mood to argue with him again.

His next words shocked her. 'I came to apologise for what I said earlier. It was… unacceptable, what I said; I realise that now. That's not really what I believe, no truly- yes I may say things like that, but I know you are just as worthy as me- probably more so.'

There was silence for a moment or two until Gwen said stiffly, 'That still doesn't make up for how rude you've been to me since we started working together.'

'What do you mean?' he said, quickly trying to remember how he had been treating her. He'd been doing his best… or maybe not.

'Do you want me to be completely honest with you?'

'Go ahead.'

She took a deep breath. 'I think you're a rude an insensitive person who doesn't give a damn about how other people might be thinking.'

There was silence for a minute, but neither seemed willing to break it; Gwen was just beginning to think that Arthur might have walked away when he said hollowly, 'I suppose you're right. You usually are, anyway.'

'Huh?'

He gave a short laugh. 'It's partly why I don't like you- you can always prove me wrong, Guinevere. Usually, I say something, and everyone agrees because it's part of their job to go along with it. But with you… you just disagree with everything- like in the maze at the theme park, for instance.'

Even though she knew he couldn't see her, Gwen felt herself blush. 'Sorry.'

'It's all right,' he replied off-handedly. 'It makes quite a nice change, to be honest.' He paused again, and she heard him sniff. For a terrible moment she thought he was about to start crying, but then he said, 'I still reek of beer, you know.'

She couldn't help herself; she laughed. 'Sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you feel bad about the whole unfairness thing, either.'

'Oh, really?'

'Well, perhaps a little.' There was silence again, but this time it was more comfortable. 'Well, to be honest, Arthur, I can't ever see us being friends.'

He nodded, before remembering she couldn't see him and said, 'Yeah. Yeah, I guess opposites don't always attract.'

'So what now? We know how we feel about each other, we're agreeing to disagree…' she let her voice trail off.

'I say we just stay mutual friends, for the rest of the group's sake. We don't have to be best of friends, but we can be civil towards each other until filming's over, just so we don't ruin the filming experience for everyone else.'

'Are you leaning against the door?'

He stopped leaning and stood up straight. 'No.'

'Good.' She opened the door to look at him; he was right, he did still stink. She wrinkled her nose. 'I really am sorry about the beer.' She held out a hand for him to shake. 'So, agree to disagree to disagree?'

Arthur smiled and shook her hand. 'You just got yourself a deal.'

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And so, over the next few weeks, Arthur and Gwen stuck to their deal. They were mutual friends; they barely started a conversation with each other, but when they did it was pleasant enough to not ruin the atmosphere of the group. Arthur barely drank anymore; he'd have the occasional glass of wine with a meal and when they all went out at night together he'd have a couple of shots, but that was pretty much it.

One Friday night, Gwaine had declared that they needed a "club night" instead of poker for a change, so they all decided to go and explore a small club they had discovered just round the corner from their hotel, and so, having invited Morgana and Gwen along with them, they all trooped off in the late evening. Morgana was wearing a small strapless black number which had managed Leon speechless for a moment, while Gwen's was a dark red, equally as short as Morgana's and enhancing her every curve. When they arrived at the club, the dancefloor was already packed, and they went over to the bar to order the first round of shots. 'Bottoms up!' shouted Percival over the pounding beats of the music, and they all drank together.

Morgana and Gwen soon disappeared onto the dancefloor, pulling Percival and Leon along with them; within half an hour Gwaine had his tongue down a leggy blonde's throat, and Gwen had met a very good-looking English tourist called Lucas, who she was now dancing with. After a while the pair of them moved back to the bar, and he bought her several more drinks whilst Arthur watched with slightly narrowed eyes. 'You're not jealous, are you?' asked Merlin knowingly, nodding towards them as Lucas tucked a stray curl behind Gwen's ear.

'Don't be stupid,' snapped Arthur, going off to buy another drink and doing his best to ignore the man leading Gwen out of the door.

Meanwhile, Lucas was saying to Gwen, 'Shall we go outside for a minute? It's crammed in here.'

Gwen finished the last of her drink and said, 'Okay.' She liked Lucas, although she barely knew him; he was charmer, and one of the biggest flirts she had met in a long time, not including Gwaine. Once they were outside, Lucas took her by the hand and led her down the dark alleyway that the club was joined to. 'What are you-' she began, but was cut off when he pressed his lips against hers. They were hard and cold, and seemed to hold no emotion. After a moment, Gwen managed to pull away. 'Well,' she said, slightly out of breath, 'That was- I really should be getting back inside, my friends will be wondering where I am-'

But he kissed her again, more forceful than the time before. 'I bought you out here so we could have more privacy,' he purred. 'Let's make the most of it, eh?' his hands started to wander up her thighs, and it wasn't until they began to trace the hem of her dress.

She pushed him away. 'No, Lucas, I don't want to, let me go.' She pushed him away, but he caught her by the wrist and drew her in again. She was scared now- he didn't seem to have any intention of letting her go as his hands made fists in the material of her dress, and now she was being pushed against the brick wall of the alleyway-

'OI!' Lucas finally broke away and turned to see Arthur standing there, fists clenched. 'Let her go,' he said, his voice deadly quiet. 'Let her go, or I swear you'll regret you were ever born.' Lucas gulped an hurried off down the alleyway; he broke into a sprint at the end and ran off out of sight.

There was silence for moment. 'Are you all right?' asked Arthur eventually. 'Did he hurt you?'

'I'm, fine,' she whispered, straightening her dress. 'Just a bit shaken, that's all.'

'Do you want to talk about it?'

'No.'

'Do you want me to get Morgana?'

'No.' She was now seriously regretting bringing a coat. 'I think I'll just go back to the hotel. Tell the others for me, will you?'

'I'll walk back with you. I'm tired, and want to go to bed,' he lied. Truth be told, he wanted to make sure Lucas wasn't going to find her again, but he wasn't going t tell her that.

'Thanks,' she said gratefully. They set off, and it was minute before Arthur noticed she was shivering.

'Here,' he said, taking off his jacket and handing it to her. She wrapped it around her, looking slightly surprised, but didn't comment. Finally, they arrived at their doors, and Gwen handed the jacket back.

'Well, thanks,' she said awkwardly. 'I'll see you tomorrow, then.' He nodded at her, and they both went into their rooms. Gwen checked her phone to see six missed calls and four texts all from Morgana, wanting to know where she and Arthur were. She called her back and left a message on her voicemail briefly saying they had both been feeling a bit tired and had decided to go back to the hotel, before collapsing onto her bed. She didn't even bother to take off her shoes.

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**Please let me know what you thought! (sorry about the sudden ending, but I didn't know how else to make it work : - ) )xxx**

DEBBIE STACHURA


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

**A.N.- Just a quick word of warning- I'll save my main A.N for the end of the chapter- this one is a little bit... well, let's just say this is where the story starts to live up to its T-rating. Enjoy!**

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_The lighting was dim, but she could still see his face. _

_His blonde hair was sticking slightly to his forehead, and his bright blue eyes bored into hers. Slowly, he edged his naked body closer to hers and gently brushed his lips against her jawline. One hand worked itself into her hair, making fists in the already tangled mess, whilst the other began to trace her neck, her shoulder blade, her stomach, her thigh-_

Gwen sat bolt upright in bed and looked across at her clock: five forty-two a.m. Her heart was hammering as if she had been running, and she felt hot and clammy. She should not be thinking about Arthur Pendragon in _that way- _if she was going to think about anyone in that way, why couldn't it be someone perfectly reasonable, like Orlando Bloom or Leonardo DiCaprio? It was just her mind playing tricks, what with the events with Lucas and Arthur saving her. Completely ridiculous. Unrealistic. Stupid. Embarrassing.

But as she rubbed the shampoo into her hair, she couldn't help but think just how good the dream had been.

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'Where did you _go_ last night?' exclaimed Morgana, throwing her arms around Gwen's neck the moment she entered the restaurant for breakfast. 'Leon and I were worried sick! I knew you had gone off somewhere with Lucas, but then you wouldn't pick up your phone and I began to think that-'

'I'm fine,' said Gwen quickly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Arthur watching her closely, a concerned expression on his face. 'We just went outside for a bit of fresh air, and then he tried to kiss me, and then Arthur came outside and walked me back home.'

Morgana narrowed her eyes. 'Did Lucas hurt you?'

'No!' she replied quickly; in the background, Arthur raised his eyebrows. 'No, not at all. I just got tired, and decided to go back to bed.' They went to sit at the table and Gwen poured herself a cup of tea. 'So, you were with Leon while I wasn't there?' she asked, smirking while she stirred in some milk.

Morgana blushed and looked down at the toast she was buttering. 'Shut up,' she muttered. 'Nothing happened.'

'Did you want anything to happen?' she enquired, lowering her voice as Leon, Gwaine and Percival entered the restaurant.

Her friend squirmed in her seat, fiddling with the ends of her long hair. 'Maybe. No. Yes. I don't know!' she sighed and slumped back in her seat. 'Why does it have to be so _difficult_?' she moaned. 'Why should either of us have to make the first move? Why can't we just wake up one day, and _bam, _we're an item? It's so complicated!'

'What's so complicated?' asked Leon, sitting down opposite them.

Morgana hitched a grin onto her face, her eyes lighting up. 'Oh, nothing,' she said airily. 'We were just talking about dress sizes.' She really was an excellent actress, thought Gwen admiringly.

Leon pulled a face. 'Boring. What scenes are you shooting today?'

'I've got one with Percival when Mordred is bought to the castle, and the one with Vivian. What's so funny?' she added bemusedly as both Gwaine and Arthur burst out laughing at her sentence.

'You sound... fine about shooting with Vivian,' chortled Gwaine. 'You're obviously never met her before, have you?'

Morgana frowned. 'No. She didn't come to France with us straight away because she isn't in any of the scenes we've already shot, am I right? I've never met her before, but I'm sure she's lovely. What?' she looked amused as once again Arthur burst into peals of laughter. By this time, half the restaurant were staring at their table.

'Yes,' said Arthur, trying and failing to keep his face straight. 'Gwaine and I have worked with her once before, and as you say, she is... lovely.' He glanced across at the Irishman again, and the two of them smirked.

'Come on, guys, tell me what you know!' pleaded Morgana. 'Is she horrible?'

'No! No, of course not.' Another sly grin was exchanged. 'She's just... well, she's as much as a perfectionist as father as, put it that way.'

Morgana groaned. 'Great. This means it'll just be another relaxing, stress-free day. What about you two, what are you doing?'

The two men grinned at each other. 'We've got our first fight scene!'

Morgana rolled her eyes and then muttered to Gwen, 'Boys and their play-fighting, eh?' Gwen laughed and drained the rest of her tea from her mug. A minute later, everyone else was also finished, and they all began the walk to work.

On the way to the castle, Arthur watched as Gwen chatted happily to Merlin in front of him. It was strange, he thought, how normal she was acting after last night. There were moments, though, where he was sure it was all an act and her confidence had actually been sapped a bit; moments throughout the day like when a group of male photographers appeared to take pictures of the cast and she crossed her arms protectively over her chest, or when Tom the cameraman accidentally brushed against her from behind and she jumped violently.

Overall, the morning went well for both Gwen and Arthur: yes, Gwen was a bit shaken, but she had Morgana's dresses to keep her occupied and Arthur spent the morning in the makeshift training ground out on the lawn, going over the choreography for the fight scene later on. After lunch, however, the day took a rather unpleasant twist when a certain loud, fake, blonde actress arrived to shoot her first scene for the film.

She appeared with a bang, striding through the main gates as if she owned the place and seemingly in the middle of a very loud, attention-seeking argument with her personal assistant struggling to keep up with her. 'I'm sorry, miss, I truly don't have any idea where she could have gone -' the assistant was saying desperately.

The woman turned on the tiny man, a look of anger of her beautiful features. 'Well, I need her!' she shrieked, and the whole film crew turned to see what the commotion was. 'How am I meant to shoot my scene without my costume assistant?'

'I'm just- oh, look, here's your father, why don't we just ask him?' the assistant's expression turned to one o relief when he spotted a man hurrying towards them. The stranger, who was tall and had a slight receding hairline, took the blonde's woman's hands in his own.

'Vivi, darling, what's the matter?' he asked. The woman, or "Vivi", burst into tears.

The penny dropped for Morgana and Gwen at the same time when they realised this was Vivian, the "lovely" actress who would be working with them.

'My costume assistant's disappeared!' she wailed. 'How am I meant to shoot my scenes without my costumes? All the people here are depending on me, daddy! This film will be nothing without my work! How can this have happened?'

'Shh,' crooned her father, 'Don't cry, sweetheart, you'll ruin your makeup and then we'll have to wait for your eyes to go back to normal.' He turned to the cast and crew, who were all standing around in disbelief. 'Somebody get my daughter some tissues!' he ordered. 'She also needs a strong black coffee with two sugars, a costume assistant and a makeup team to prep her immediately, please.' Nobody moved. 'Now!' he barked, and everyone jumped back into action.

Within a minute, Vivian had stopped snivelling and was being led away to the changing trailers, with a black coffee in her hand, photographers circling her whilst all competing to get the best shot, and a few miserable crew members who had been assigned in assisting Vivian for the duration of her filming. Gwen watched the scene unfold with amusement, but it quickly lost its humour when Uther came up to her and said, 'You're Morgana's costume assistant, aren't you?'

'Yes, sir,' she said nervously. She glanced across at Morgana, who simply shrugged to show she didn't know why the producer was talking to her, either.

'Well, I need you to go and be Vivian's costume assistant until we can find a replacement for the one that's gone AWOL. She's been put into trailer number seven, go and attend to her straight away. There's a folder in there that should tell you all the costumes she needs, get going.'

Gwen stared at him. Two jobs? 'You want me to go and work for... her?' she said faintly. 'I'll be working extra hours?'

'Yes,' he said impatiently. 'Is there a problem with that?'

'For the same amount of pay?'

He glared down at her. 'I beg your pardon?'

'Well, I'll be working twice as much, so surely I'm entitled to -'

'Don't you answer me back, young lady!' he growled. 'You should be happy. This will look excellent on your CV. Now, I want you to go over and help Vivian, and if I hear even the _slightest _whisper that you haven't been treating her with the respect that she deserves, I promise you your job of working for Morgana and your new position with Vivian will be given to someone more grateful. Do I make myself clear?'

Gwen sighed, defeated. 'Yes, sir.' She glanced across at Morgana, who was looking furiously at her guardian, before walking out of the gates to wear the trailers were parked. She was just passing through a small gap between two trailers when a voice made her stop.

'Hey, wait up!' she turned round in disbelief to see Arthur jogging towards her, drenched in sweat from his training for the fight scene. 'Hey,' he said again once he had caught up with her. 'Look, I just heard that you have to work for Vivian, and I came to wish you luck.'

Gwen laughed. 'Thank you. This might be the last time you see me as a sane woman.'

He grinned. 'If you want to survive working with her, listen carefully. These points might just keep you in the correct mental state. First, she has a dog called Sugar. The moment you see it, comment on how adorable it looks in its diamante collar and pink jacket. That dog is her pride and joy. Second, agree with everything she says. Believe me; it'll save you a lot of crying and insulting. Third, insist you need to know what she's going to be wearing for the next week so that your outfits don't clash. Vivian loves shallow women who believe that looks are the highest priority.'

'Wow.' She blinked. 'You seem well informed on how to act around spoilt brats.'

He shrugged. 'I had a fling with her for a few weeks when we worked on a film together a couple of years ago. I'm surprised you don't remember it, it was all over the tabloids.'

Gwen raised an eyebrow. 'Well, you sure know how to pick your women, don't you?'

Arthur laughed. 'You know me, Gwen. I don't do relationships, I do sex.' They both looked uncomfortably down at their feet, and before she could stop it, the memory of last night's dream flew back into Gwen's mind.

'I've often wondered what your lifestyle would be like,' she admitted quietly. 'You know, not having to worry about the whole romance thing and just have a fling.'

He grinned. 'It's good. You get to be carefree. Maybe you should try it sometime, Guinevere you could do with something meaningless in your life. You need to stop worrying about everything.' All of a sudden, their bodies seemed much closer than they had been a minute ago. 'You need something to take your mind off your work.' Her lips were close enough to kiss now. If he just moved forwards a few more inches...

A loud shout from inside the trailer they were next to made them both spring apart, and Gwen glanced at Arthur, who ran a hand awkwardly through his hair. 'Um,' said Gwen, and he looked up. 'I don't know what just _didn't _happen there... but I think it just came a bit too close to something -' she was rambling, she knew, but somehow she couldn't stop speaking. Why did this always happen to her?

Arthur gave a groan. 'Our relationship is completely messed up, isn't it? I mean, we both secretly loathe each other, but in a way we're both aware of that, but then things like this happen, and -'

Gwen smiled slightly. 'We're messed up people, Arthur; it's only to be expected. Now, if you'll excuse me...' she retreated and disappeared round the corner, leaving a very confused and thoughtful actor in her wake.

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She knocked on the door of trailer seven a minute later, willed for inner strength to get her through, and then let herself in.

Gwen couldn't believe her eyes: she had literally never seen anything like it in her life. Every surface of Vivian's trailer was bright pink and glittery: the walls, the furniture, the lights, the carpet, the lining of the numerous mirrors, the small iPod docking station blaring out music and the dressing table that was choc-a-bloc with makeup. She cleared her throat to announce herself, and at once the team of seven people who had been attending to Vivian's appearance, along with Vivian herself, stopped what they were doing to look at her.

'Who are you?' asked Vivian rudely, putting down her magazine.

'I'm Guinevere. I'll be your costume assistant until we find you a full-time replacement,' said Gwen with as much politeness as she could muster.

'Guinevere really is one of Camelot Film Company's finest,' interjected Sally quickly, the woman who Gwen knew and liked who was currently attaching extensions into Vivian's scalp.

Vivian looked Gwen up and down with obvious disgust at what she was wearing: a flower-patterned short dress that she had made herself with a cropped denim jacket. 'Then I fear for Camelot!' she laughed, before going back to her magazine. Sally exchanged raised eyebrows with Guinevere, who felt like slapping the stuck-up actress there and then, but instead she simply went over to the small costume rail that someone had thought to bring in and started to search through for the one that had been allocated for today. There it was: slutty, a very low neckline, a tight bodice that laced up at the back.

She held it up to show to Vivian. 'Do you want me to help you put it on now?' she said sarcastically, as Vivian didn't seem to be making any effort to the scene she would be shooting in just less than half a hour.

Vivian turned to look at her. 'Go on, then,' she huffed, standing up. 'If you must.' She stood up dramatically and put her arms out to the side, looking as if she was trying to impersonate the Angel of the North.

'Um, don't you want us all to turn away while you change and then I'll just do it up for you?' asked Gwen timidly.

The actress raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. 'No. Honestly, Gemma, I've posed for Playboy six times, do you really think I still worry about my dignity? Believe me, those days are long gone.' And without further ado she peeled off her top to reveal a perfectly toned stomach, before kicking off her shoes and unbuttoning her shorts, so that she was standing there in nothing but a matching pair of lacy black underwear. She pulled a ridiculous pose and pouted in what she must have thought to be a seductive way. 'What do you think?' she asked, spinning round. 'I chose a strapless bra because I didn't know if it would go with the dress, so actually, I'm doing you a favour by dressing like this!'

'Thank you,' said Gwen awkwardly, holding out the dress for Vivian to slip into whilst the rest of the team averted their eyes. Ten minutes later, after many complaints, several near-tantrums and a lot of pouting, Gwen had managed to tie the dress tight enough to stop her cleavage spilling out. Yes, Vivian had had to hold onto a chair whilst both Gwen and Alice had sorted out the corset, but it really had been worth it: it pained Gwen to say it, but Vivian really did look beautiful. It complimented her hourglass figure perfectly and flowed out at the bottom, making a quiet rustling sound every time she moved. Vivian, however, simply sniffed when she was shown her refection in the full-length mirror, and stuck her chest out slightly, muttering, 'I could do with another boob job,', before plonking herself back down in her seat and commanding the makeup team to get to work.

Five minutes before filming was scheduled to begin, a man walked in with a dog in his arms, which he handed to Vivian. Then he put down a small pink glittery suitcase next to her and left the trailer without a word. Vivian screamed in excitement as the dog (if you could really call it a dog- it had no fur and was dressed in a pink diamante collar with a matching sparkly jacket) was placed on her lap, and at once she began to fuss over the small creature, talking in goo-goo language. Gwen had never seen a more nauseating sight. 'Your dog is lovely,' she tried, remembering Arthur's advice.

Vivian looked up and for the first time gave Gwen a genuine smile. 'Thank you!' she said happily, rolling the dog over so it was on its back. 'Did you hear that, Sugar? Gemma thinks you're a lovely dog! She loves you almost as much as she loves me, but no one loves you as much as Mummy does!' she cooed, kissed the dog on its wet nose just as a man with a clipboard came in.

''scuse me, Miss,' he said nervously, 'But filming is about to begin. If you would like to make your way to -'

'All right!' she snapped, standing up and adjusting her dress so that her cleavage was sticking out so much that her dog could have sat upon it. She snapped her fingers and pointed at Gwen. 'You, Gemma -'

'Gwen,' she corrected her quietly.

'Oh, whatever your name is- carry Sugar for me. I want her at the side of the set twenty-four seven; if I stay away from him longer than an hour I get terrible headaches. Come on, let's go, we haven't got all day!' Sugar was thrust into Gwen's arms, and the pair of them walked back to the courtyard, where Morgana and the rest of the film crew were already assembled. Quite a few men's jaws dropped when they saw her outfit- it seemed even more daring as when she walked, her chest bounced- and she walked over purposefully to Uther, who was tapping his foot impatiently while having a heated discussion with Aggravaine.

'Uther!' trilled Vivian, and a wide smile appeared on Uther's face as he welcomed her into his open arms. They kissed each other's cheeks.

'Excellent to see you again, my dear, simply excellent,' he said warmly, taking her by the hands and leading her to the top of the steps. Gwen trailed along, trying not to look miserable. 'Now, we're a couple of minutes behind schedule, so as soon as your costume assistant has sorted out your dress we're going to start, okay?'

Vivian nodded eagerly, and Uther went back to stand behind the camera again. Gwen bent down to smooth out the dress, which was easier said than done as she still had to hold the squirming dog in her arms, as she smoothed out the material. Just as she was straightening up, Uther called out to her, 'Hurry up, girl; you need to sort out Morgana, too!'

Gwen smiled tightly and hurried over to where Morgana was standing, before bending down once more to sort out the hems of the cloak she was wearing. 'You look like she's giving you hell,' said Morgana sympathetically in a low voice so no one else would hear.

'Let's just say that they had better find a replacement for Vivian's costume assistant soon, or I might kill myself,' Gwen muttered back. Morgana chuckled. She walked out of the shot, and a moment later, Aggravaine shouted, 'Action!'

Vivian began walking up the steps towards the castle, as Morgana ran into the scene and called, 'You won't find him in there, you know.'

The blonde turned to face her. 'What are you talking about?'

'We've taken him,' said Morgana triumphantly, 'To a place where -' but then she stopped when Sugar made a high-pitched whining sound in Gwen's arms, its small eye focused on its mistress. Everyone turned to look at them, and Gwen blushed crimson.

'Sorry,' she muttered, but the dog continued to whine and struggle. At once, Vivian came rushing towards them and scooped Sugar up.

'What's wrong, my little sweetie pie?' she crooned. 'What can Mummy do to make it better?' at once, the dog stopped making weird whining sounds and sighed. Vivian smiled. 'All better!' she kissed the top of the dog's head before shoving him back into Gwen's arms and going back up to her starting position, chest bouncing all the way. 'Carry on!' she called to where the crew were all standing, looking slightly bemused.

Aggravaine sighed. 'Scene thirty-six, take two, and... action.'

Vivian began walking up the steps towards the castle once more, as Morgana ran into the scene and called, 'You won't find him in there, you know.'

The blonde turned to face her. 'What are you talking about?'

'We've taken him,' said Morgana triumphantly, 'To a place where he's safe from you. You won't be able to damage him anymore.'

'Believe me when I say he hasn't seen the last of me yet,' said Vivian quietly. 'I'll find him and then bring him back, just you wait.' She retreated back down the steps and walked past Morgana, accidentally-on-purpose knocking into her shoulder, before gliding out of the scene.

'Cut,' said Aggravaine, and Morgana relaxed her pose. 'Morgana, you're a bit too far to the left when you walk forwards, so we'll just do it a few more times and see if it looks better then, okay?'

He turned to where Vivian had disappeared. 'All right, Vivian, come back now, we're shooting again!'

An hour and a half later, when both Uther and Aggravaine were satisfied, and Gwen had become very tired of having to do everything one-handed because of a stupid dog, everyone began to pack away. Gwen was more than happy to hand Sugar back to its owner, and her and Morgana began their walk back to where the trailers were parked. Just as they were passing the lawn, they saw something odd; two men lying on the grass next to each other, perfectly still and splattered with blood. The two friends glanced quickly at each other in alarm, and then made their way over to see it was-

'No!' gasped Morgana when she saw the faces of the two people.

It was Arthur and Gwaine.

She crouched down next to Arthur and pressed her ear against his chest. 'He's got a heartbeat,' she confirmed before moving over to check his companion. 'Gwaine? Gwaine, if you can hear me -'

Gwaine's chest began to move up and down rapidly, and then his breath started to come out in short and shallow gasps. Then his eyes opened at exactly the same time that Arthur's did, and they both yelled, 'Got you!' Gwaine once more dissolved into laughter.

'Guys!' said Morgana crossly. 'That wasn't funny, I thought something had -'

'Trust me, sweetheart,' said Gwaine, wiping tears from his eyes, 'It really was.'

'Why are you covered in blood, anyway?' asked Gwen, puzzled.

Arthur grinned. 'We're about to shoot our fight scene. What do you think?' he stood up and turned round to show them the whole effect.

'It's brilliant,' said Gwen admiringly. 'No wonder you managed to trick us...' she was glad that there was no awkwardness between them since this what had happened this morning. Just then, Uther called over to them.

'Arthur and Gwaine, we need you here now!'

'Bye, guys,' said Gwaine miserably, and the two of them walked off back towards the castle.

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Later that evening, Gwen and Morgana headed down to the hotel restaurant for dinner, and found they were the last ones to arrive at the round table that had been reserved for them. It was enjoyable meal, with everyone glad that they had a Vivian-free evening, and all too soon the clock was striking eleven and the restaurant had to practically kick them out. They said goodbye to everyone in the usual fashion, with more and more people going into their respective rooms until it was just Gwen and Arthur left.

'So,' said Arthur, running a hand through his hair when they reached their doors. 'Um...'

'Don't,' said Gwen quickly, 'Don't say anything about what happened... what _didn't _happen... earlier.'

Arthur groaned. 'Don't you see, Guinevere? We can't carry on like this! We can't we enemies, or friends, but then we get _so close _to something happening -'

'Don't call me that!' she burst out.

'What, Guinevere? Is it because I'm the only one who says it like that? Is it because it makes you think of certain things? Because believe me, I don't care anymore. I just want you for- oh, sod it. Here's what I'm thinking.' And he lunged forwards and kissed her.

It was unexpected, and Gwen found herself pinned between the door and Arthur's chest. She tried to pull away at first, but after a moment she relaxed into it, and before she knew it her fingers were knotted into his hair. 'You can come in for a drink, if you want,' he muttered, and his key card let them into the room; he kicked the door shut, their lips never leaving each other's. They stumbled over to the bed, and all of a sudden Arthur was on top of her, and their lips were on fire, and his hands and mouth were _everywhere-_

'This is wrong,' she managed to gasp out, 'This is what you call a drink?' But even as she said it, she continued to slip her fingers under his t-shirt. 'I don't- even- like- you -' she punctuated every word with a kiss. 

'Haven't you worked it out yet?' growled Arthur, kicking off his shoes. 'We've already established that we're never going to fully get along- we're too different. So if we just don't speak, then -'

'What, you mean...' Gwen finally paused to look up at him. 'Just, like, a one night stand?'

'Pure, meaningless sex,' he grinned down at her. 'I told you you should try it sometime, and admit it, you've thought about sleeping with me before, haven't you?'

She thought of the dream from last night, and blushed. 'Well, perhaps a little.'

'So what do you say? One night, never to be spoken of again?'

Her head was screaming out for her to say no- it was irrational, it was careless, it _wrong. _But her heart...

'Just for tonight.'

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**A.N. Hello, strangers!**

**Firstly, I would like to apologise for the lengthy wait for this chapter. I've had writer's block, and believe me, it's taken me a while to try and get the long-awaited kiss to work: this is my twelfth version of how it happened. So... what do think will happen next? Will it just be, as Arthur put it, "pure, meaningless sex"? hmm. I told you it would live up to its T-rating! **

**I'd also like this opportunity to thank all my reviewers so far: my target for this entire story was to have 50 reviewers, and what do you know, we're over halfway there and the story has barely begun. I love you guys *gives virtual hug to reviewers*. It doesn't hurt to review more than once, you know! ;)**

**p.s. I apologise for the shortness of this chapter, but again, it seemed a good place to stop.**

**So, I think I've said everything I meant to say now, except this: I apologise in advance that the wait between chapters is very unlikely to get shorter. I have a lot of coursework that I'm already drowning in, as well as family commitments, a social life and other random crap that I don't like doing but is compulsory to my education. *sniggers* Education? Pah! I'm joking, kids. Don't listen to me. School is very important. Anyway, I'm rambling, so I'll just upload this now and let you review *hint hint*! xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

**Once again I'll save my main A.N. for the end, but be warned- don't read this if you haven't got much time. It's rather long, and by that, I mean **_**really**_** long... good luck! ;) **

Sunlight streamed through the curtains, and Gwen opened her eyes slowly, looking around the room in confusion. As she was still half asleep, it took her a couple of minutes to process what she was seeing. Pairs of jeans and boxers were crumpled in a heap at the foot of the bed. Smart brown shoes were stood by the door. A male jacket was hung up on the wardrobe door- wait, male? This wasn't her room.

Then in an instant she remembered the events of last night. Touching. Caressing. Crying out in pleasure. Dark skin against light. Kisses, both passionate and gentle. Slowly and nervously, Gwen peeked over at the other half of the foreign bed she was in.

'Shit,' she hissed, drawing back.

She had slept with Arthur Pendragon.

What had she been thinking? _Not a lot, _a voice inside her head told her. Being careful not to wake up the sleeping blonde next to her, she sat up slowly, very of the fact that she was stark naked... and so was he. She mentally slapped herself, wondering how on earth she could have let this happen.

She was a strong, independent woman; but she had let herself go in a mere moment of weakness and this is where it had landed her: in bed next to a man that she didn't even like. It was his body, she decided; his body was just too tempting, even for her. That was her weakness. She hopped out of bed and padded softly around the room, collecting any stray bits of her clothing she could find and putting them on. Part of her felt intrigued as to how spread out her garments were, but a much larger part of her really didn't want to know how it had come to be.

Once she was fully dressed again, she looked down at Arthur for the final time. He was sleeping on his front, face buried into the pillow and mouth slightly open, facing her. The duvet had shuffled down the bed, displaying his bare back and just a glimpse of his toned stomach. She sighed, wondering if she was doing the right thing by leaving him before he woke up- this was her first one night stand, so she wasn't entirely on how the morning after bit was meant to work- before hurrying out into the corridor and shutting the door with a quiet click.

When she was back in the safety of her own room, Gwen made her way straight into the en-suite and ran herself a bath. Once again she stripped herself of all clothing and slipped into the warm soapy water and rested the back of her head rest against the tub, closing her eyes. She felt dirty, used; she would never be able to look at Arthur in the same way again, not after last night. He had treated her so differently, though- it was as if he was cherishing his time with her, like he also knew that they would never have this opportunity again. When she thought of him, and how she had called out his name last night, she had felt... wanted. When she thought of it now, she felt sick.

She stayed there until all the bubbles had gone and the water was cold before getting out and drying herself with a towel, still wondering how she was going to face Arthur Pendragon ever again.

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Arthur opened his eyes blearily. He felt funny, as if there was something he was meant to have remembered, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Something had happened last night, he was sure, something that-

'Oh, God,' he groaned as he realised.

He had slept with her. So much for friendship. He simply lay there, trying to convince himself that it hadn't happened, and it was all just a dream- a very good dream, at that, but a dream nonetheless- so that he wouldn't have to deal with the aftermath. No, he told himself sternly. They were both adults; they would have a sensible conversation and then move on with their lives. Slowly, he got up and began to get dressed, not bothering to take a shower or even brush his hair. He had a feeling it was going to be one of _those _days.

After half an hour or so of trying to pluck up enough courage to go down for breakfast- _she _might be there, and then what would he do? - He picked up the phone on his bedside table and ordered room service instead. Shortly after the large platter of food arrived outside his door, Merlin rang him on his mobile. 'Hello?' he said warily, suddenly remembering Gwen and Merlin's close friendship and wondering if she had told him anything.

'Where are you?' Merlin's voice came out of the speaker slightly tinny. 'We've saved you a place at the usual round table, but you're late...'

'I, er, ordered room service instead,' said Arthur, feeling a tad guilty about not telling him that he was eating alone.

'What's happened?' asked Merlin at once. It was an unspoken piece of knowledge between them that whenever one of them ever ordered room service instead of joining everyone for breakfast, it meant they were feeling low. Room service was usually marked for particularly bad days, like when an interview had gone really wrong or a very personal story had been leaked to the press and was causing havoc. 'You want to talk about it?'

'I -'

'You know you don't have a choice. I'll be there in two minutes.' The line went dead, and Arthur groaned. Interrogation with breakfast, his favourite. He sat down on the end of the bed and put his head in his hands, still not quite believing what he'd done. Trying not to think about it too much, he instead began to count the amount the amount of seconds Merlin had said he would be, and sure enough, just as he reached number one hundred and twenty, there was a knock on the door. Arthur got up to let his friend in and then went to sit back down on the bed, beginning to pick at his breakfast.

Merlin sighed. 'Ok. What have you done?'

'I -' he swallowed. He couldn't give Gwen a reputation. 'I can't tell you.'

'You say that every time. Now spill.'

'No, I really can't this time,' he protested.

'Ok.' There was a slight pause. 'Can you give me a clue?'

He blinked, trying to think how to word it. 'I've done something really bad, Merlin.'

'In what sense?'

'Um...'

'Did you kill someone?'

'What? No!'

'Well, at least that's something,' he sighed and sat down next to him, taking a croissant off the plate and tearing into it with his teeth. He looked his friend up and down. 'Girl trouble?'

Arthur groaned. 'I feel like a teenage boy. Yes, I suppose you could call it girl trouble.' He took a bite out of the one croissant Merlin hadn't had a chance to devour.

'Is it Gwen?'

Arthur nearly choked on his food. 'Why would you- you can't- have you spoken to her this morning?'

'Actually, I haven't.' He frowned. 'She wasn't at breakfast, either... Hey,' his eyes narrowed. 'Did something happen between you two last night?'

'No. We, er, had a bit of a falling out, actually.' Which had led to him kissing her, which had led to inviting her into his room, which had led to the pair of them sleeping together. Not that he was going to tell Merlin the last part.

'Another one?' said Merlin, raising an eyebrow and looking amused.

'It's not funny!' scolded Arthur. 'I think she hates me once and for all.'

'Why, what was it about this time?' he asked eagerly, as if this was some form of entertainment.

'Oh, the usual,' he said casually, trying to be vague about it. He was an actor. He could handle things like this. 'But you know what? Let's just forget about it. There's no point talking to her, it won't make any difference at the moment. What shall we do today? It's my first day off in weeks.'

Marlin grinned. 'Let's see how high we can get today.'

He stared at him. 'You mean _high _high?'

'No!' Merlin laughed. 'I mean as in height. Let's try and find the highest place we can stand in this town. I'm in the mood for some stupid, pointless adventure.'

Arthur grinned, abandoning the breakfast on his bed. A maid would come and collect it, he was sure. 'Yeah, all right.'

'Just the two of us?'

'Fine,' he sighed. He knew how much his friend loved it when they were without the other actors, because according to him, they were "too tall".

'Should we invite Gwen?' he smirked.

'Shut up, Merlin.'

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Gwen stayed in her room nearly the entire morning, throwing the windows wide open to let in the sun and putting on some British music as she worked on a dress she had been planning for herself for some time. She was just trying it on for size- it fit her, to her relief, so she wouldn't have to edit it- when there was a knock on her door, and she opened it to see Morgana standing there. 'You didn't come down for breakfast!' her friend said accusingly. Gwen looked down at her watch and was surprised to see it was quarter to twelve.

'I forgot,' she said, surprised.

Morgana peered at her. 'Are you all right? You're not ill, are you?'

'No! No, I'm just a bit... distracted. I've been making a dress all morning, look.' She twirled round, letting the skirt fly around her.

Her friend gasped. 'Oh my god, you made this? It's gorgeous! Have you ever thought of getting your own label?'

'What do you mean?'

'You know, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen... your creations are amazing. I'm serious, you could become a designer label.'

'Really?' said Gwen, amused. 'I dunno, I've never really thought about it. Making my own clothes has always just been something that I've done, ever since I was a teenager.'

'What other stuff have you made that you wear?'

'I can show you, if you like,' Gwen offered, and let her in. She pulled a few other dresses and tops out of the wardrobe and held them up in front of her. 'I've been experimenting with different styles and patterns, and how they work, and what they look like when they're combined...'

Morgana gawped. 'Is there anything in your wardrobe that you didn't make yourself?'

She looked through quickly. 'Just that dress that we bought together. I'm still not sure about it, you know...'

Her friend rolled her eyes. 'Honestly. It's gorgeous, and you have an amazing figure- you're just scared about having to show it off.' She looked thoughtful for a moment, and then said, 'You know the premiere for this film?'

'Yeah?'

'Would you make me a dress to wear for it?'

Gwen smiled. 'I'd love to.'

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The two girls spent the rest of the day in town. They shopped. They had lunch in a beautiful, quiet little cafe in a side street. Several people stopped Morgana for her autograph and a picture. It should have been lovely; having a day off from work- but all Gwen could do was worry about what she had done.

For some reason, whenever she looked at Morgana she felt immensely guilty. Maybe it was because she had slept with her best friend's almost-brother- the ultimate sin. She couldn't bring herself to talk about what had happened, and maybe that was because she was still half hoping that if she simply forgot about it, it would all go away. Unfortunately, when they got to the hotel and went to rest in the private lounge for a bit at the end of the day, Merlin and Arthur himself walked in.

Merlin, of course, knew nothing of the awkwardness, and bounded over to sit next to the girls on the sofa, saying, 'This is the first day off I've had in weeks,' happily. Gwen couldn't help but smile at his energy.

'Arthur didn't give you coffee, did he?' she asked in mock concern. Most of the film crew treated him like a bit of an undernourished, hyperactive pet that reacted badly to any form of caffeine.

'We went to the top of the castle- you know Pierrefonds, the massive one where we're filming,' said Merlin excitedly, 'And I took a picture. Look...' he pulled a camera out of his pocket and showed Gwen a rather hazy shot of a landscape view of the town. A pale blur in the top left showed that Merlin had forgotten to move his hand out of the way of the lens.

'It's very good,' she told him.

'Do you want to see the rest?'

'Don't,' said Arthur quickly. 'He stood there for about half an hour, and took about a hundred and fifty shots.'

Gwen smiled. 'Maybe another time, Merlin. I'm a bit tired.'

'Oh.' Merlin looked slightly disappointed. 'So, what have you two been doing all day?'

'Shopping,' Morgana yawned, kicking off her sandals and curling her feet underneath her. 'And eating.'

'What did you buy?'

'Just a few tops and stuff.'

'What did you eat?'

'Um... a Panini. And -'

'_Where_ did you eat?'

Morgana laughed. 'Jesus, Merlin, what have you taken?'

'Nothing!' said Merlin innocently. 'Well, except that Red Bull I tried earlier. Don't worry, I didn't finish it,' he added hastily, seeing the looks of alarm on the girls' faces. 'I drank about two thirds, and then threw the rest away when I decided I didn't actually like it.' He paused, and drummed out a rhythm on his thighs. 'So, what are we doing tonight?'

'Nothing,' groaned Arthur, sitting down in the armchair opposite and closing his eyes. 'I'm tired.'

'Late night?' questioned Morgana, smirking. 'Which bimbo did you pick up from the street corner this time?'

Arthur snapped his eyes open, eyes briefly flitting over Gwen. 'Don't say that,' he said sharply.

Morgana raised an eyebrow. 'I'm just going on experience -'

'Yeah, well don't, all right?' he snapped.

She looked surprised. 'Someone had a rough night.'

He glanced across at Gwen and smiled slightly. 'Yeah. Yeah, you could say that.'

Merlin closely watched the pair interact. It was obvious words had been spoken last night. Trying to prevent any awkwardness, he continued, 'Let's -' and then he remembered. 'Oh, Arthur, your father wants dinner with you tonight at seven. He told me to tell you that he's made reservations for the pair of you and wants to meet you at that Italian restaurant on the other side of town at half-six.'

Arthur looked at his watch and yelped before glaring at his assistant/friend. 'It's five forty-five!'

'Is it really?' said Merlin innocently, looking up at him as he leapt out of the chair. 'Sorry, it must have slipped my mind to remind you earlier. I suppose you'd better get ready, there's a car coming to pick you up at quarter past.'

'Really? Wow, I must have forgotten that my father always sends a car to pick me up fifteen minutes before he wants me, and has been doing so for my _entire life!_' snarled Arthur. 'Honestly, why you still work for me I have no idea...'

'It's because you still haven't learnt to tell the time or read directions well enough to handle everything yourself yet, and would therefore be a total wreck without me,' retorted Merlin, grinning as Arthur scowled once more before hurrying up to his room to get changed.

Gwen stayed in the lounge for a little longer with Morgana and Merlin before going up to her own room to put away her shopping. She ripped off the tags and stowed the tops away in her wardrobe before checking her hair and going back out to meet everyone for dinner. Unfortunately for both of them, Arthur had chosen the exact same moment to step out into the corridor, so they stood facing each other, alone for the first time since... well, _That._

'Hi,' said Arthur automatically.

'Hi,' she replied. 'Look, it never happened,' she blurted out.

'Huh?'

'Last night,' she said forcefully. 'It never happened, okay? It's what we agreed, and it's what we're sticking to. We'll just carry on with our lives. Last night, I came into your room for a drink, like you asked me to. That was it.'

'Er... got it,' he said, slightly relieved. 'So, friends?'

'Friends, and nothing more,' she said, smiling slightly. 'What happened in your room stays in your room, and doesn't count in the real world.'

He grinned as a sudden thought entered his mind. 'Does that include the time you beat me at poker?'

'Well, that counts,' she replied, and laughed. She looked him up and down- he was in a smart black suit with silver cufflinks and tie. 'Hang on.' She came towards him and put her hands on the thin piece of material. 'It's wonky,' she muttered, 'And too low down.' She straightened it and pulled it up so the top button of his crisp white shirt was no longer visible. 'Much better,' she said quietly, looking up at him. They were painfully close. If he just lent down... she snapped herself out of it. 'You should get going,' she said quickly, breaking the spell.

He blinked. 'Yes. Yes, I should.' They began to walk down the corridor together. 'It's Friday,' he commented as they began to descend down the flight of stairs.

Gwen laughed. 'Well done, Arthur.'

'Which means it's poker night,' he continued, 'And it's in my room this time. Do you want to join us?'

She smirked. 'Only if you're prepared to be beaten. What time should I be there?'

'I expect Father won't let me go until about half eight, so how about nine?' he suggested. 'I'll need time to change.'

'Nine it is,' she smiled as they reached the hotel restaurant doors- she went inside, and he continued to the main reception where a man in a red suit stood. 'You car ees waiting on you, sir,' he said in very bad English.

'Thank you,' said Arthur, smiling. He then stepped outside to be greeted by millions of flashes of bright lights from the paparazzi's cameras as they all tried to take the best shot of him, along with several screams of fans desperate for autographs. Two burly bodyguards appeared out of nowhere on both sides of him and ushered him into the black limousine waiting by the curb for him. As they drove away at high speed, the excited yells faded away into a peaceful nothingness. Five minutes later, they pulled up outside an expensive-looking Italian restaurant. He was hurried inside by yet more security- thankfully, only a few reporters had managed to find out he was going to be here tonight- and he was immediately pushed into a private booth whilst a waiter hurried up to take his jacket.

'Arthur.' Uther Pendragon stood up to greet his son, though all they did was shake hands before sitting down opposite each other on the table for two. 'It's good to see you,' he smiled tightly. 'Even though we work together, I feel like I hardly get the chance to speak to you properly anymore.'

Arthur smiled. Although they weren't exactly the best at expressing their feelings towards each other, something that had caused a lot of fighting during Arthur's teen years, he loved his father deeply. Sometimes he wondered whether it was simply because he was speaking to the man who had known his mother best. 'I'm glad you picked this restaurant,' he said. 'I've heard it has very good wine.' This translated into "I'm glad you chose for us to meet here instead of somewhere completely private, as this will prevent us from having a fight about something unimportant which could damage our already strained relationship".

The evening flew by for both of them. They talked about the economy and what a terrible government was currently in power. They talked about the company, and what a success filming had been so far. They talked about the press, and how incredibly amusing it could be to read quotes from so-called "reliable sources" all claiming to know who it was Arthur was going out with. It was this particular point that led them onto a very awkward few minutes of conversation.

'So,' said Uther, looking at his son over the top of his large glass of red wine. 'How's your love life at the moment? Anything I should know?'

Arthur cleared his throat uncomfortably and set his fork down on the side of his dish of pasta. 'Not really, no.' He did his best not to think of the attractive young woman who would later be in his room playing poker with him and his friends.

Uther took another bite of his ravioli. 'Well,' he said thickly, swallowing and dabbing at his mouth with his serviette, 'At least you're not sleeping around anymore. I got rather tired of seeing you falling out of nightclubs with another blonde bimbo every weekend. What made you stop?'

He shrugged nonchalantly. 'I grew up, I suppose. I decided it was time to focus on my career a bit more.'

'Good.' Uther nodded and drained his glass; almost in the same second that he snapped his fingers, a waiter appeared and refilled it before retreating with a bow. 'Although really, Arthur, it's time to settle down with someone now. I mean, your job is sorted, you have a stable income... you could be starting a family. Why, by the time I was your age I was already married to your mother!'

Arthur shifted in his seat. 'I dunno, I just... haven't found anyone yet. Maybe in the next few years I might be interested in a long-term relationship, just not at the moment.'

'Well,' said his father briskly. 'The press are growing restless, Arthur. You've used the playboy look for some time now; I was speaking to your publicist the other day, and we both think it would reflect on the company nicely if someone- how shall I put it? - _tamed _you.' He studied his son carefully. 'As always, I will give you an extra ticket to the premiere so if you want to introduce me to anyone...' he smiled. 'As long as it's no common riff-raff, of course.'

'Of course, Father,' said Arthur quietly as he was once again reminded of the class rule of working for Camelot Film Company: only get involved with people of your own status. Uther summoned the same waiter and asked for the bill, and within minutes the pair of them were escorted out of the restaurant and back into the eye of the cameras. They shook hands and smiled for the screaming fans before being driven off in identical but separate black limousines- Uther was staying in a different hotel from his cast, further away from the prying eyes of the press.

When Arthur got back to the hotel, it was already quarter past nine. Damn- he was late for poker. Silently cursing the long wait he and his father had had to have for their food, he hurried up to his room to find Gwen, Merlin, Gwaine, Percival and Leon all standing outside his door looking very amused, accompanied by a small French woman whom he recognized from the front desk scolding them all loudly. She clearly didn't find the situation nearly as amusing as the others did. He cleared his throat, and she span round with a shocked expression on her face.

'Meester Pendragon!' she squeaked. 'I am terribly sorry, but these pesky people will not leave your door! I am coming down the corridor, and 'ere they stand as bold as- what you call eet, you Eenglish? – as bold as brass. I ask them what business they 'ave, and they say they are waiting for you! I tell them _no, _Mr Pendragon does not like 'aving 'is picture taken by nuisances like these, but -'

Arthur laughed. 'These people are my friends. I was supposed to meet them here fifteen minutes ago.' The woman's face turned the colour of sour milk so quickly it was almost laughable. She began to blurt out an apology, but Arthur stopped her. 'Really, it's fine. We're not going to complain.'

'_Merci,_' the woman mumbled, her face now a crimson red and she scuttled off with her head bowed. The moment she disappeared around the corner, the entire group burst out laughing as Arthur let them in. Merlin pulled the table into the centre of the room and the men pulled beers out of the mini-fridge, passing them round as Gwaine shuffled the cards.

The game was a quick one, Merlin going out in the first round and everyone following shortly after. Once again, it was Arthur and Gwen in the final, and once again, Gwen bluffed herself into winning. 'How do you d it?' asked Arthur, flabbergasted. 'What's your technique?'

'My technique,' she said smugly, draining the last of her beer, 'Is that I have no technique. I'm unpredictable.' The men cheered her on, and Arthur smiled grudgingly. By the time they finished, it was only eleven, so they stayed together a little longer, talking about the film.

At one point, they got onto the subject of what everyone was filming. The Knights had just one scene all together riding into the castle courtyard, but Arthur was questioned by Gwen they all jeered, and Arthur fiddled with his beer can and refused eye contact. 'What?' asked Gwen, bemused.

'Arthur's got a _naughty _scene with Vivian,' crowed Gwaine. 'And his uncle's going to be directing it, and his father's going to be supervising it!'

'Oh, god,' groaned Arthur. 'Don't put it like that. Would anyone like to be me tomorrow?'

'I will,' said Gwaine at once, cracking open yet another beer can. 'The Lady Vivian has one _fine_ set of -'

'Okay!' said Arthur loudly, standing up. 'I think we're done here, aren't we? Early start tomorrow and all...' the men laughed and departed from the room. Merlin left, mouthing, 'You made up with Gwen, well done!' before joining the other knights. Then it was just Arthur and Gwen.

Gwen picked up her shoes from where she had kicked them off earlier and glanced across at him. 'Well, have fun with Vivian tomorrow.'

He winked. 'I'll be thinking of you.'

She laughed. 'You've got some cheek, Arthur Pendragon, to say things like that.' She smiled at him and then left for bed, glad that they had manage to sort themselves out in the space of a day.

The next morning, Arthur awoke with a feeling of dread in his stomach. Today was his scene with Vivian. The boys were going to tear him apart for this. The worst part about it was that what he had said to Gwen last night was true: he would, indeed, be thinking of their night together, something that might cause Arthur a bit of... embarrassment with the cameras. Trying not to dwell on it too much, he got up and had a shower, before getting dressed and going down for breakfast.

When he arrived, everyone else had already started, and he sat down next to Leon, who smirked at him. 'Looking forward to today, Arthur?' he said knowingly. The others chuckled, including Gwen.

'Of course,' he replied sarcastically.

The morning flew by, and before they knew it, the group of them were in the make-up trailer next to the castle. Morgana was in the beginning of the scene with Arthur and Vivian, Gwen had learned, so she was accompanying her to help with the costumes. They all hurried to the Great Hall, where the film crew were already setting up their cameras and Uther was standing with Aggravaine in the corner. A large table was in the middle of the room, and a red and gold throne stood proudly at the end. Vivian was perched on the arm, drumming her fingers against it as she ordered the poor costume assistant they had managed to find for her. As they entered, everyone turned to see them, and Uther started to shout out instructions as everyone bustled to their places.

Vivian stood on one side of the table opposite Arthur and Morgana. Gwen sorted out Morgana's dress- a deep blue silk that everyone kept staring at, one of Gwen's own creations- and then Aggravaine came to talk to the three of them once Gwen was out of shot. 'Right,' he said, 'Morgana, you've got the easy part- just say your lines then walk out of the doors. The "guards" will close them for you. Arthur, Vivian...' he smiled. 'Well, we'll just see how it goes. I don't mind if you want to ad lib for a bit, but keep the words roughly the same. You must include the throne, though, okay?' they both nodded, Vivian more enthusiastically than Arthur, and then Aggravaine also moved out of shot.

'Slate one, scene thirty-six, take one... action.'

'I think you should leave,' glowered Morgana, her eyes fixed on Vivian, 'While you still can.'

Vivian smirked. 'I'd rather not. My lover needs me, don't you?' she turned to look at Arthur, who glanced between the two uncomfortably.

'Sister,' he addressed Morgana, 'She's right. I can look after myself.'

'Don't you "sister" me!' exclaimed Morgana, flaring up. 'Can't you see? She's corrupting you! She's -'

'Enough!' Arthur shouted. 'Leave us.'

Morgana blinked. 'You'll see I was right,' she whispered, before turning on her heel and walking out the doors. As soon as the guards slammed them shut, Vivian turned back to Arthur.

'Don't listen to her.'

Arthur looked unsure. 'Maybe she's got a point. It's too risky, maybe I should -'

Vivian pressed a finger to his mouth, and he stopped talking when she pushed him back onto the throne. 'Close your eyes,' she murmured, and he obliged. 'How does it feel,' she murmured, 'To sit in this throne that could be yours?'

Arthur swallowed. 'Good.'

She bent down so their faces were level.

'This could be yours by tomorrow...' she pushed her lips against his, and he responded eagerly; it only took a moment before she was on his lap, and his fingers were in her hair, while she unbuttoned his shirt. He shifted so she was straddling him entirely, and began to move his lips across her collarbone, in the exact same way he had done it to her own burning skin two nights ago...

Gwen crossed her legs uncomfortably and tried to ignore the clammy moisture that had appeared on her forehead.

For the rest of the scene she stared at the ground, thinking of _anything _but the motions Arthur was going through right in front of her, almost identical to the ones he had done with her without them being real. It was a big relief, therefore, when Aggravaine shouted, 'Cut!' and both actors stopped, smiling broadly when their director told them, 'It was perfect. We got all the right shots. It was so good, for the first time ever; I'm not going to ask you to do it again! You're finished for the day, both of you.'

Vivian winked at Arthur, who looked uncomfortable when she said loudly, 'That's a shame; I was just getting into it!'

Gwen stayed with Morgana when she was chatting to Uther before accompanying her back to the trailer so she could get out of her costume. Morgana stepped into the trailer first, but just as Gwen was about to follow, a voice called her name softly.

Arthur stepped out of the shadows. 'I was trying not to think of you during filming,' he said. 'Having to remind myself that I was just acting, and I wasn't back in my room with you.'

'It made me remember,' she replied. 'How great our night was.'

'You just came into my room for a drink. That's our cover story.'

'Correct.'

'Well, if you feel like going for another drink...' he let the words sink in.

'I -'

'Gwen?' Morgana stuck her head out of the trailer. 'Could you help me with this zip?'

'Of course,' said Gwen quickly. She avoided Arthur's gaze as she climbed inside, because she knew she would have said yes to him otherwise. He really was becoming irresistible.

When they arrived back at the hotel, it was evening. Gwen told Morgana she wasn't hungry and, ignoring her friend's confused expression, went straight up to her room. For some reason she was unsurprised to see Arthur standing between their two doors. It was at that moment she realised there had never really been any question at all.

'Are you still up for that drink?'

He said nothing, just took her by the hand and let her into his room and closed the door behind them. They had both known this was coming; there was no escaping it, no way of avoiding it. The moment the door was shut, his lips were on hers. Somehow her legs became wrapped around his hips, and he slammed her back into the wall. He unbuttoned the front of her dress, and, in her hurry to return the favour, tore his shirt in an attempt to rid him of the garment. 'Someone's eager,' he murmured.

'Shut up,' she muttered back, pushing the top off his shoulders and throwing it to the ground. 'I need your body, _now_.'

'Fine by me,' he growled, undoing his belt.

'And Arthur?'

'Mm?'

'What happens in your room stays in your room, deal?'

He kissed her again. 'Deal.'

**Greetings, earthlings!**

**So... it turns out that this update managed to come faster than expected, though hopefully not with a cost. If I fail my exams because I used up my revision time to write this, then I will blame you, the wonderful readers! Some of you may not like my notes in every chapter, but this one's kind of necessary, because I feel like I have to explain the way this story has suddenly gone.**

**First of all: yes, I know, it doesn't seem like something our Gwen would do, like, EVER. What I'm trying to get across is that they both know the only way they can be together is physically, and, this way, they're not technically breaking any rules that Uther has in his contracts. Also, Gwen knows she's not going to be able to win, because she likes Arthur too much- hopefully it'll be explained a bit more in the next chapter.**

**Second- in answer to **Cowboy's Lover Dimitri No1**'s question (cool name, by the way!) as to whether I'm going to write "the scene" in between the end of the last chapter and the beginning of this chapter- YES, yes I am, but I'm going to do it as a separate one shot, not as a chapter of this one, more of a bit-on-the-side, because I really don't think it would fit with the rating in this one. If you want to read it, then add me to your author alerts if you hadn't already, and I'll post within the next couple of weeks. Be warned, it will most certainly be M-rated! **

**Also, I've decided that from this chapter forward, I promise to reply to every single review I receive for my stories. Don't worry, I won't make a really long list of my replies at the end of every chapter- it's something authors often do that I find really annoying- but I promise I'll send a message to your account (unless it's a really interesting question that I want everyone to know the answer to, when I will put it at the end of the chapter). So, any questions, or suggestions, or just general things about the story- or me! - don't be scared to put them in a review. **

**P.S. This is going to be the last update for a while: we're now entering the Exam Weeks *cue sad, pitiful music* so I'll be pretty busy. Don't worry, it won't take years, but it will be at least a couple of months before I begin to write this again. I tried to make up for it with the length of this chapter- my longest yet! –so that's got to count for something, right? Sorry, but I hope you understand! **

**I hoped you enjoyed it, and please subscribe! Xxx **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

He watched her get dressed out of the corner of his eye.

'I still hate you, you know,' she muttered, struggling slightly with her zip. 'If we had feelings for each other,' she continued, 'I'd be furious that you weren't attempting to help me with this stupid dress.'

He sat up in bed and reached for his boxers, pulling them back on. 'Unfortunately for you, Guinevere, I have no feelings for you.'

She smiled slightly at this and succeeded with the zip at last. She straightened the dress and slipped her shoes back on. 'So, sleeping with each other whenever we feel like it, and nothing more?'

'Sounds good to me.'

She smiled again and looked him up and down; he had put his jeans back on and had got up to get a new t-shirt, thanks to her ripping his first one. 'Goodnight, Arthur.'

'Goodnight, Guinevere.'

They didn't even kiss each other goodbye; that might suggest that they actually like each other, after all. Gwen went back into her own room and sat down on the end of her bed, not quite knowing what to do with herself. She did think of going down to the restaurant and joining Morgana after all, but just as she was about to get up her phone rang, and her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

'Hey, sis,' said a cheerful voice from the other end of the line.

'Elyan?' she gasped. This was the first time she had spoken to her brother in a good couple of years; apart from Christmas and birthday cards, the siblings had barely exchanged contact due to Gwen being busy studying for a degree at university and Elyan being busy being kicked out of college.

'Just thought I'd check up on you,' her brother said. There was a casual tone to his voice, but Gwen was sure there was a slight edge to his words. 'How have you been?'

'Not bad,' she said suspiciously. 'And yourself? What have you been up to?'

'Oh, this and that,' he replied breezily. 'Listen, Dad mentioned you're doing something in France at the moment?'

'Yes,' she said slowly. There had to be a catch to this.

'Well, can I live in your flat in London while you're not there?'

'_What?' _she spluttered. 'Why on earth -?'

'Look, I've got that spare key you gave me when you moved in, so you won't even need to come back to arrange anything- it'll only be for a few months while I get enough money, and then I'll be off again -'

'Elyan, I've sub-let it to someone else already,' Gwen explained patiently. 'They moved in the week after I left for France, all my stuff's in storage until I get back. My estate agent and I sorted it all out.'

'Really?' he sounded crestfallen. 'Damn.' There was a pause. 'Oh well, I've got a friend who knows someone who said I can always sleep in their kitchen if the worst comes to the worst, so I'll just give them a call.'

'Oh, when are you going to grow up?' asked Gwen, exasperated. She'd already had this conversation with him a million times. 'You're twenty-nine. You should be settling down, getting married, thinking of starting a family, not looking for the next place to stay and wondering which job to jump to next!'

'I'm living my life, Gwen,' he laughed. A voice said something in the background- a woman's voice, low and husky. 'Can't you just- Alesha, if you touch that, I swear I'll – right, that's it, young lady. I'm afraid I'm going to punish you very- hey!' he laughed. 'Stop it; I'm on the phone to my sister! Gwen,' he said hurriedly, 'I'm going to have to call you back. I've- er- got a couple of things to attend to over here. Bye!' The line went dead.

Gwen sighed. Her brother worried her, but at the same time, she should really just let him live his life, like he said. But she had more pressing things on her mind than what her brother was or wasn't getting up to- like Arthur.

She didn't know what to class him as.

Her boss' son?

No, that made it sound like they worked in offices.

A friend with benefits?

No; they were hardly friends.

A... a _lover?_

She shuddered at the thought. She did not _love_ Arthur Pendragon.

A contact.

That was all he was to her: a contact, an acquaintance, who just happened to be in the same friendship group and was the person she was sleeping with. Nothing more. And that was how it would stay.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Over the next few weeks, Gwen and Arthur worked out a sort of routine. They would meet at half eleven at night in Arthur's room; Gwen would stay no more than an hour before returning to her own bed. There were no sleepovers, no speaking of the "outside world" in Arthur's room, and no speaking of what happened in Arthur's room in the outside world unless it was to arrange things for next time. They barely spoke to each other in public, only joining in group conversations with the rest of their friends. The main part of the deal was that there was absolutely no sex outside Arthur's room, because that would ruin the deal completely. That was what they agreed.

Nothing outside Arthur's room. At all.

When Gwen looked back at these few weeks years later, she would say that there was one particular day that changed their relationship completely. It was such a subtle change that neither of them really thought that much of it at the time, but it was a change nonetheless.

The change happened right at the end of summer, on the thirtieth of August. Gwen had been walking to Morgana's trailer after a long, hot day of filming inside the castle when someone had called her name softly.

'Guinevere.'

She smiled slightly; she would recognise that voice anywhere. 'Arthur?' she said timidly.

'To your left.'

She looked left to see him poking his head out of his own trailer, eyes roaming over her body. She smirked and walked over to him. 'Hello, Arthur.'

He opened the door wider and stepped into the room; after quickly glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she followed him in and shut the door behind her.

Gwen turned to face Arthur, who was leaning against the table that ran along the opposite wall. 'So here's the thing,' he said, looking straight at her. 'We like having sex with each other, right?'

She smirked. 'Right.'

'Well, I was thinking about our deal,' he continued, 'and when I thought about it properly, I realised it's quite stupid.'

She raised an eyebrow. 'Stupid?'

'Yes, stupid. At the moment, we can only have sex in my room. The problem is that I'm going out with the boys tonight, so I won't be back to my room until about three, and the chances are I'll be pissed.'

'So you're saying we won't be having sex today?' He nodded. 'Damn. I was looking forward to it.'

'There is an alternative, of course.'

'Oh?'

He gestured to the table he was leaning on, and her eyes widened when she realised what he was saying. 'Here? _Now?'_

Arthur grinned. 'Here and now.'

'Arthur, I thought we agreed no sex outside your room?'

'Just face it, Gwen, that arrangement really hasn't been working that well. We both know that we've actually rescheduled social stuff with friends so we can be in my room for eleven. This way, we can stay out with our friends for later, but still get the same amount of sex, if not more. What do you say?'

She deliberated for a few seconds, looking down at the table. She _would _be disappointed if she didn't get any today...

In the time in which she had been debating, Arthur had come over to her and had reached behind her and locked the door. Then he moved his hands into her hair and kissed her slowly, deeply. This kiss was all it took to completely convince her.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

So the change happened: it was not only in Arthur's room, but also in Gwen's, round the back of a club – this one had been slutty and dangerous, and they both vowed never again – in Arthur's trailer, on location... the list seemed endless to Gwen whenever she thought about it. They were careful to make sure they left and entered their encounters separately to make sure no one suspected that they had been together – sometimes they planned ahead as much as Arthur leaving the dinner table with Merlin as much as twenty minutes earlier than Gwen, both of them going back to Arthur's room for a minute of two so that Merlin saw Arthur actually enter his own room, and then Gwen walking with Morgana back to her own room so that Morgana saw her go into a different room.

They had been sleeping together for approximately three weeks when their routine encountered a little problem.

It was a drizzly Tuesday morning in the beginning of September when Gwen woke up with the most incredible stomach cramps; she ran into the bathroom, pulled down her knickers and groaned when she saw that her period had started a day early. Swearing slightly under her breath, she went back into the bedroom to get a fresh pair of knickers and then searched through her bag for some painkillers, swearing again when she remembered she had given her last one to Gwaine on Sunday for his hangover. She slowly began to get dressed into a hoodie and jeans – normally she wasn't this scruffily dressed, even on her days off, but with stomach cramps as bad as these she really didn't care about looking good.

When she was dressed she curled up in a ball on her bed for a few minutes, hugging her knees in an attempt to rid herself of the cramps. It was no good – she was going to have to go and get some painkillers from someone. Maybe they would sell them at Reception, she thought to herself as she slipped on her shoes and left her room with her purse. As soon as she was out in the corridor, of course, she was confronted by the sight of Arthur's door. Maybe he would have some. She took a deep breath, wincing at how much it made her stomach clench painfully, and then knocked softly on his door.

There was no answer, so she knocked again, louder this time. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal Arthur in a t-shirt and boxers, rubbing his eyes sleepily and his blonde hair sticking up in all directions. He raised his eyebrows when he saw who it was. 'Jesus, Guinevere, I know we said we were going to do it at any time, but I didn't think you thought that four in the morning would be suitable...'

'I'm not here for sex,' said Gwen quickly, and Arthur looked a little surprised. 'I just... have you got any painkillers?'

He stared at her. 'Painkillers? At four in the morning? Seriously?'

She glared at him. 'This is just one of the many joys of being a woman, Arthur.'

There was a moment's silence, and then his eyes widened when he realised what she meant. 'Oh. Oh, okay. Painkillers. Yes. I'll just – do you want to come in?' He opened the door wider and she stepped inside the room. She flicked on the light as he went through to the bathroom, going over to sit on his bed, hugging her knees to her chest to try and stop the cramps from hurting as much.

Thirty-two seconds later (she counted) Arthur reappeared, holding a glass of water and two white pills in his hand. She took them gratefully and swallowed both the pills in one go, washing them down with half the glass of water. 'Thanks,' she said quietly, putting the glass down on the bedside table.

'So you have to go through this every month of your life until you do that weird menstruating thing?' Arthur asked incredulously.

She nodded, and then paused. 'Well, unless I'm pregnant, of course.'

'Of course.'

There was an uncomfortable silence.

Gwen looked up at him, smiling when she saw he was looking at anything but her. 'You're finding this really awkward, aren't you?'

Arthur scowled. 'Yes. I don't like not understanding things.'

'Aw, you poor thing, not having to get stomach cramps, mood swings, tiredness and the most uncomfortable sensation _down there _every four weeks,' said Gwen before she could stop herself.

'You get mood swings and tiredness from it as well?' asked Arthur.

'Yes, just to make it more fun for everyone else.'

'But we've been filming for months now – how come you've never -?'

'Had mood swings or been tired all day? Believe me, I have. I'm just uncivil to you most of the time anyway, so you wouldn't've noticed anything different.'

'Huh.' He chuckled. 'Oh, I'm so glad I'm a guy.'

'Lucky bastard,' she muttered.

He laughed. 'I hardly ever hear you swear, Guinevere.'

'Yeah, well, I think I'm perfectly entitled to today.'

'Can you still have sex?'

She laughed, stopping suddenly when it hurt her stomach. 'Of course, _that _would be the thing you ask me about.'

'It's the only thing that connects us properly – apart from our friendship group,' he defended himself. 'The only times we see each other privately is for a shag.'

'Oh, you have such a way with words, don't you?' she said sarcastically.

'Thank you,' he grinned.

She rolled her eyes. 'Back to the original point – technically, yes I can. However, it's not the most pleasant feeling for me, so...' she paused. 'Tell you what – I'll make you a deal. If you really want, I can come to yours tonight and – how shall I put this? – _just be there for you, _if as soon as my period's finished you'll do the same for me.'

His eyes widened when he realised what she was implying. 'You mean tonight that I just get to lie back – and you're willing to – and I don't have to -' his face split into a wide grin when her words sunk in properly. 'Ah, you're brilliant, you are.'

She narrowed her eyes at him. 'Don't be _too _complimentary, Arthur. You're starting to sound as if you actually like me.'

He grinned at her and wrinkled his nose. 'Better stop now, then. Don't want to give you that impression...'

'Of course.' She stood up, the painkillers starting to take effect. 'As nothing but a contact to you, though, I'll say thank you for the pills.'

'Glad to be of service.'

Without glancing back, Gwen let herself out and went back into her room, hoping to catch a couple more hours' sleep before having to wake up again for breakfast.

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Once back in the privacy of her own room, however, sleep was really the last thing on Gwen's mind. Her and Arthur's little conversations such as the one that had just happened were starting to make her wonder whether what she was doing really was the right thing.

At first, their agreement had seemed like such a good idea: sex with a man who had a great body (however much she hated to admit it) without having to be civil to him. It was perfect, or so it had seemed; but now the deal had been going on for nearly a month, and sex had become more of a routine for the two of them. She had been feeling this way for quite a while, but up until now she hadn't quite been able to put her finger on what it was.

She felt _dirty._

There was no other way to put it; she felt used by Arthur. All her adult life Gwen had believed that sex was something beautiful, something to be shared with the person you loved. But this theory had quickly evaporated once sleeping with Arthur had become a regular event. She certainly didn't love Arthur, of course, so this surely meant she was using him to try and cling onto that euphoric feeling of intimacy with another person. It was all very well, and she was sure Arthur didn't have a clue how she was feeling about this, but it was worrying her a bit how her standards of living had changed. Growing up, she had always been determined to have, well, standards, both of material stuff and people. And what had become of her now?

Sleeping with the man she hated across the hallway because she was so desperate, that's what.

Gwen flicked the bedside table lamp off and the room once more became dark. She rolled over and squeezed her eyes shut tight; trying desperately not to overthink what she had got herself involved in.

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Meanwhile, unknown to Gwen, Arthur was lying on his bed having very similar thoughts.

There was no getting away from it; he felt guilty whenever he slept with Guinevere. She didn't deserve this; she deserved someone who actually loved her, not someone who loved her body. A voice in his head (one that sounded a lot like Merlin's) was telling him that he should break off their deal with her now; they would have to stop at some point, of course, they couldn't just carry on having sex with each other forever. A larger part of him, however, told him that the moment he got rid of those precious few hours spent with Guinevere and no one else, however much they disliked each other, he would regret it at once.

Arthur flicked off his light and climbed back under the covers, trying desperately not to overthink what he had got Guinevere involved in.

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At breakfast, Guinevere found herself wedged at the round table between Percival and Arthur. Percival, bless him, who always made Gwen feel as if she was the size of an eight-year-old, was trying to shift along the curved bench slightly to give her more room, but Arthur really wasn't helping things; every time she tried to move, he shifted so that their arms or legs would brush against each other – every time this happened, goosebumps would erupt on her skin, something that didn't escape his notice – a stupid little smirk appeared on his face whenever they reappeared with every touch.

She glanced across to see his expression; he winked so subtly she almost missed it and then returned to his toast before anyone else at the table noticed their exchange. She looked down to her own croissant and, leaning slightly towards Arthur so Percival wouldn't hear her, she murmured under her breath, 'Playing games, are you? Well, if that's what you want...'

She picked up her knife, and just as she was about to move it into the butter dish it slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor beneath the table with a clatter. Percival glanced over at her, and she smiled apologetically. 'I dropped my knife,' she said. 'Sorry, did it land on your foot?'

Percival grinned. 'Oh, is that what it was? Don't worry, I've got my big boots on, I didn't really feel it.'

Gwen smiled at him again before diving under the table; as she bent down to hunt for the knife, she made sure to brush her hand against Arthur's thigh – at once, she felt his muscles stiffen. She kept her right hand on his calf while she picked up the knife with the other to keep her balance, and made sure that when she began to straighten up again her cheek brushed against his thigh before she reappeared above the table. It had the desired effect on him, of course – his leg involuntarily jerked up and smacked against the table just as Gwen sat back down on the bench next to him; the knock on the table She looked down and began to put butter on her croissant as if nothing had happened between them at all, finishing the rest of her breakfast whilst in a conversation with Morgana across the table.

Arthur did not try to tease her for the rest of the meal.

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For Arthur, the rest of the day was the slowest he had ever had to endure.

He was spending all his hours today shooting another scene with Morgana, meaning that Guinevere was always in sight: watching them as they acted, looking up at him as she sorted out the hem of Morgana's dress and sitting on their table at lunch. Every now and then she would catch his eye, hold it for a couple of seconds and then look away, smirking slightly. It was torture for him, and she knew it.

Finally, Uther called an end on the day and he practically ran back to his trailer to get changed. Within ten minutes he was ready, waiting outside his trailer for the rest of his friends with his coat buttoned up to its collar. Leon was the first to arrive, a scarf wrapped around his neck in an attempt to fight the cold. The two stood talking for a couple of minutes (although Arthur's thoughts were definitely not on the stunt scene Leon was explaining) until Gwaine showed up, grinning from ear to ear. Arthur narrowed his eyes at him. 'What are you up to?'

'Oh, nothing,' Gwaine smirked. 'I'm just in a really, _really _good mood.'

Arthur didn't exactly buy this answer, but didn't take it any further; he just wanted to get back to the hotel to enjoy his time with Guinevere. In an attempt to distract himself, he began to rock back and forwards on the balls of his feet, which also helped to keep himself warm.

Percival was the next to arrive (for some reason still only in a t-shirt and jeans) with Merlin in tow and the group of "Knights", as they were becoming known as to the rest of the cast and crew, given both their characters in the film and the fact that they were always together, and soon enough they were just waiting for Morgana and Guinevere to arrive. Arthur had a sinking feeling that Guinevere was keeping him waiting on purpose.

Finally, nearly twenty minutes later, they emerged in coats and scarves; Gwaine was grumbling about probably missing dinner, but Leon's face noticeably lit up when he saw the two women join the group. Gwen had to hide a smile when she saw the change of expression in the man's face (which, she also noticed, was mirrored in Morgana's face, too) and wondered whether either one of them had noticed how the other felt.

At long last, they set off for the hotel. Arthur kept trying to get everyone to hurry up, using the excuse that it was cold outside, and walked at the front of the group. Luckily, the paparazzi had been distracted by the loud form of Vivian, who was still back at the castle posing for the cameras, so the streets were relatively clear, making the journey pleasantly quick. After a few minutes, Merlin caught up with Arthur, hurrying along to match his long stride. 'Meeting someone tonight?' he asked quietly so that no one else could hear.

Arthur stared at him. 'What?'

Merlin frowned. There was something in Arthur's expression that worried him – it made him think he had hit the nail on the head. 'I said, are you meeting someone tonight?' he repeated. 'You seem in a bit of a hurry to get back to the hotel, that's all.'

Thanking his lifetime of acting lessons, Arthur managed to stop the heat rising to his cheeks as he replied, 'Of course not. I'm tired and I'm hungry.'

Merlin raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. 'We'd better get a move on, then,' he muttered. 'Don't want your royal highness to starve to death, after all.'

Arthur ignored the last comment and continued to hurry towards the hotel.

They arrived in the restaurant within record time, going straight to their regular round table. Gwen found herself squashed between Morgana and Leon on the opposite side of the table to Arthur, who kept glancing at her and eating his meal at top speed. She smiled to herself; he was certainly eager for their night together. She hoped he would stick to his word and return the favour in a few days time.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Arthur was doing his best to avoid the temptation of simply kidnapping Gwen and taking her to his room in front of everyone right now; he had never been a particularly patient person, and she was certainly taking her time with her meal, which he assumed was deliberate.

Finally, almost an entire hour later, everyone's plates were clean. Arthur practically leapt from his seat as everyone else began to stand up and stretch, although Gwen was the only one to notice, as the others were all in conversation with each other. She caught his eye; he gestured towards the staircase which led up to the bedrooms and she merely smirked in reply. He rolled his eyes, and she smiled innocently before turning her back on him and striking u a conversation with Morgana.

Slowly (painfully so for Arthur) the group began to split up: Leon, Gwaine and Percival went into the private lounge to go and talk with some of the rest of the crew, while Merlin put on his coat to go out to the lake near the town to take some pictures – he had recently decided to take up photography, he told them with a grin before departing into the night. Morgana, Gwen and Arthur then left for their rooms, both the actors saying they needed to revise their lines for tomorrow and Gwen saying she had had a long day. They said goodnight to Morgana at her door, and then the pair of them carried on down to the end of the corridor, finally reaching Gwen's bedroom.

She smiled across at him, swiping the door card against the small black box; the door clicked open, inviting them in. After checking that no one could see them, they entered, Gwen flicking every light but the centre one on, casting the room in a soft glow. He dropped his cot by the door and kicked off his shoes while she went over and put some music on the speakers in the corner from her iPod: it was quite and beautiful, an acoustic song by a man that Arthur didn't recognise. Gwen was just closing the blind when a pair of hands appeared on her hips from behind, and then his lips were on her neck, whispering, 'You've been teasing me all day, Guinevere.'

'Don't call me that,' she said quietly out of habit. The weird thing was that it didn't actually bother her anymore; she had long since grown used to his infuriating ways. She turned round, tilting her head back slightly to give him more access to her skin. 'Besides, you deserved it.'

'Oh, really?' he said as she slipped off her shoes, doing his best not to smile when he felt her height shorten. 'And why, exactly, did I deserve it?'

'Because you're a pig.' She began to unbutton his shirt and moved her lips down to his collarbone. 'You're insufferable.' She hands gently brushed him through his jeans. 'And I hate you.' She began to guide him backwards towards the bed, pushing him down into a sitting position with her straddling him. Their lips didn't take long to find each other once more.

'Mm.' He felt down her chest and found the zip that ran up the middle of her top; he unzipped it as they kissed and pushed it off her shoulders. 'Is that why we're here?'

She paused. 'Yes,' she said, smiling into his collarbone. 'That's why we're here.' She moved her hands down and undid his belt.

'Because you hate me and you think I'm an insufferable pig?'

'Precisely.' She pushed him down so he was lying on his back, then shuffled down his body slightly so she could easily ret her head just above the line of his jeans, which she quickly slid off his body. 'This is the only way I can cope with being around you.'

He smiled and looked down; their eyes met. 'That... that makes sense.' His mouth was quickly becoming dry as she became closer to _that _sensitive pat of his body. Gently, she began to press kissed down his torso; he reached across and stroked a bit of her hair, closing his eyes. All that teasing? All that waiting she had made him to do today?

For this, it had totally been worth it.

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Eventually, they were finished for the night.

Gwen shuffled back up the bed so she was lying next to Arthur's naked body, who was still on his back. She shifted so she was closer to him, realising she was beginning to shiver as the only thing she was wearing was a pair of knickers (it had been Arthur's night, after all, and he had insisted that her near-nakedness would only make the experience more enjoyable). He was quick to notice this and put his arm over her shoulders, bringing her in closer.

'How long have we been here?' he mumbled quietly. It seemed this evening had drained him – literally, he reminded him elf with a smile.

She glanced over at her alarm clock. 'About three hours.'

'Three hours?' he swore under his breath. 'Time flies when you're having fun.'

She chuckled, closing her eyes and resting her cheek on her chest. She was exhausted. 'You could say that.'

There was quiet for several minutes with just the sound of Gwen's playlist still playing in the background. They both knew they were drifting off, and they both knew their own rule of no sleepovers, but for some reason neither of them moved. It wasn't long before the pair of them had drifted off into a deep sleep.

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When Arthur awoke, the lighting was still soft, the music was still playing, and Gwen was still curled up against his chest, her breathing slow and deep. He froze. What was he still doing here? This had never been part of the plan. Sleepovers were decidedly _not _part of the plan; they had decided it long ago. It was their golden rule.

And now he had broken it.

Slowly, doing his best not to move the sleeping woman on him, he shifted to see the time displayed on the alarm clock: three thirty-two a.m. He frowned. If he left now, before morning, it technically wouldn't count as a sleepover, would it? He had done this with several – okay, more than several – leggy blondes back in the days of womanising, but it had been a while. Slowly does it, he reminded himself as he took his arm off her shoulders and then, quick as a flash, replaced where Gwen had been holding his body with a pillow instead. He smiled, glad he hadn't forgotten how to do it.

As quietly as he could he began to put his clothes back on piece by piece, still half-asleep; just as he was about to leave, he turned and saw Gwen still curled up against the pillow in her arms, her skin glowing softly in the light and her hair spread out behind her, shining. Arthur wasn't exactly sure what he was doing, but he still found himself walking over to the bed and gazing down at her for a few seconds. Then, before anything could tell him not to, he bent down and placed a light kiss on her forehead; she stirred, but did not wake.

He left the room quickly, clicking the door shut as quietly as he could so as to keep her asleep until morning.

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**Hey, guys!**

**Yeah, I know. Throw rocks at me, burn me, chuck me off a tall building to see whether I can fly. Any of these punishments, I guess, will do for me, the person who hasn't updated in months. *hides face in shame***

**PLEASE forgive me! My revision paid off – I got A*s in every subject, so woo! Still not entirely sure what I'm going to do with those grades, but still... **

**So yeah. On a more serious note, my best friend has just had to go through a horrific couple of months – I won't go into too much detail, but it involved her moving in with my family while everything was sorted out... this means I've been a bit (!) busy recently trying to help her get everything sorted so everything else was put on hold during that. Luckily she's getting his life back on track now, so we've all been able to relax (kind of) and of course my way of relaxing is going back to my FanFiction, yay! **

**This chapter's proven quite difficult to write (I suppose my writer's block didn't help that) and I'm not entirely sure whether I like it or not, but I'll leave that to you to tell me in a review (hint hint!). **

**Also, I am perfectly aware that this story is getting a little bit... **_**adult. **_**If you don't understand what some of the conversations are implying, then a) you might be a bit too innocent for this story, or b) I'm a terrible writer. Take your pick. Anyway, if you do feel that this is edging a bit too close towards the M rating, then please let me know in a review *hint hint* and I will consider toning it down a little bit. **

**As you can hopefully tell, this story is now getting a bit more... well, a bit different. They're starting to not hate each other as much, so it should get a bit more personal, hopefully... I know where this story is going to end up (about six chapters left, guys – gah! Although don't worry, I'm already planning a sequel if you want one), and I know the main points that are going to get it there, but if any of you lovely people have any ideas of what you'd like to see in the next couple of chapters then PLEASE give me your thoughts in a review and I'll reply and try and fit it into a scene, because I really do appreciate hearing what you have to say about my work.**

**Now, I'm going to go and start writing the next chapter and I'll leave you to go and review! Thanks for all your support, and please review/follow/favourite! ;) xx**

**p.s. For those of you who have been watching series 5 of Merlin – I'm not sure whether you lot abroad get it at the same time that we do in England – **_**oh my god! **_**That episode in the Dark Tower?! What the hell is Morgana playing at?! To those of you who haven't seen it yet, you're in for a treat... ;) xxx**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

**A.N. This chapter features Arthur in a very bad mood, and it turns out Arthur in a bad mood means Arthur swearing.**__**If this offends you, don't bother reading. Nuff said!**

Gwen woke up to stomach cramps once more. She rolled over in bed and groaned. The first couple of days were always the worst.

She got out of bed and went to take a shower, massaging the shampoo and conditioner into her hair slowly to distract herself from the cramps. She dressed quickly and then texted Morgana, asking her to bring some painkillers down to breakfast with her. After spending a few minutes making some adjustments on a dress she was working on, she headed down to the restaurant, trying to remember just how last night had ended.

It was with a sinking feeling that she remembered falling asleep – he had, too, she was sure. However, he had obviously woken up before her, ensuring that it couldn't count as a proper sleepover and therefore stopping their golden rule from being broken. She smiled slightly at this, but was still worried.

No matter how hard she tried not to think about it, Gwen still felt as if she and Arthur were using each other – and it was still making her feel _dirty. _She would give it a few more days, she decided, just to see if she still felt the same way she did; and if she did, she would have no choice but to break it off – she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up.

When she arrived at breakfast she smiled when she saw Morgana had saved her a seat next to her – everyone else had already arrived. As soon as she sat down two painkillers were pressed into her hand by her friend. 'Girl problems?' whispered Morgana.

Gwen nodded and grinned. 'Thanks.' She put both the pills in a glass of orange juice and glugged it down in one. When she put it back down she noticed Gwaine was staring at her from the opposite side of the table with a large grin on his face.

'That's my girl!' he called over the other conversations. 'Downing a drink in one... we should take you out more often...'

She laughed and began to stock her plate with toast and butter.

'Oh, Gwen, we were talking about it before you arrived – this Saturday night at the theme park – remember, the one with the maze? – there's a huge firework display and bonfire and party. We were all thinking of going. Are you up for it?'

'Er.' She wracked her brains to think of anything she might be doing on Sunday that could be affected by a hangover. Nothing came to mind, so she said, 'Yeah, all right.'

'Brilliant! The fireworks are outside, obviously, but the party's going to be in this massive tent thing that they're setting up. It's cheap, too – you pay something like ten euros when you enter and then it's free drinks for the rest of the night. Gwaine will have a field day.'

Gwen smiled at this and continued with her breakfast. 'Is everyone going, then?'

'Oh, yeah – almost the entire crew, I think. I've got a feeling there'll be more British than French.'

By the time they finished breakfast, Gwen's cramps were almost non-existent, and didn't return for the rest of the day at work. It was a Wednesday, meaning that they had tomorrow off, and at dinner Morgana managed to persuade Gwen to spend the day shopping with her in town. It had even been suggested that they get an early train and spend the day in Paris. This amused Gwen slightly – in the life before she had joined Camelot Film Company, she would never have dreamed of simply getting on a train at a moment's notice and going to another city just to shop.

On the way to their rooms from the hotel lounge at the end of the night, they fell into their regular walking pattern: Gwen and Arthur walked Morgana to her door, and then carried on to their own rooms together. Once they had said goodnight to Morgana there was silence for a moment, until Gwen said timidly, 'Arthur... about what happened last night -'

'Don't mention it,' said Arthur quickly before she could go any further. 'I know we came close to breaking our number one rule, but I think it would be best if we just didn't talk about it and... brush it under the carpet, so to speak.'

Gwen paused as they reached their rooms. 'I think that would be for the best,' she said finally. 'Goodnight, Arthur.'

'Goodnight, Guinevere.'

She turned her back on him and let herself into her room, shutting him out. It was several seconds before Arthur came to his senses and did the same thing.

As soon as Gwen heard Arthur's door click shut, she sank down onto the floor, resting her back against the door.

She had never been one for crying – the last time she had properly cried had been at her mother's funeral five years ago – but this was the closest she had come to it since then. There really was no getting away from it: she felt dirty, and she hated it. She had to end it. She _had _to. The only question now was when.

Not wanting to dwell on it any more tonight, she quickly got changed and went to sleep.

Arthur was rudely awoken the next morning by someone banging loudly on his door. 'I'm up,' he groaned at them with as much strength as he could muster before flopping back down onto the pillow.

'No, you're not,' said a voice. It took Arthur a moment to recognise it a Merlin's. 'You're already falling back to sleep as I say this now. Come on, Arthur – you've got to be in make-up for six.'

'_What?' _he looked over at the time on the DVD player. It was five in the morning.

'Honestly, you've had to do make-up calls this early before.'

'Yeah, but still...'

'And besides, if you don't open the door in the next ten seconds, when you do finally come down for breakfast I'll tip cold water on your head -'

Merlin didn't even have to finish his sentence before the door was flung open to reveal Arthur in nothing but a t-shirt and his boxers, eyes half-closed and hair sticking up in all directions. He grinned broadly. 'Morning,' he said brightly.

'It's all right for you,' Arthur muttered, rubbing his eyes, '_you _don't have to sit in a chair for two hours to get plastered in stuff that you really want to rub off but can't...'

'Don't worry,' Merlin said cheerfully, 'you'll have Morgana to share your misery.'

'Great. Hang on – isn't it her day off? I thought she and Guinevere were going to go to Paris?'

'Nah, Uther rescheduled last minute. I'll see you in the restaurant in twenty minutes, all right?' He looked Arthur up and down, shook his head slightly and smiled before bounding off down the corridor and out of sight. Arthur was just about to close the door so he could go in the shower when the door opposite to his opened and Gwen stepped out.

'Guinevere!' said Arthur automatically.

'Arthur,' she replied, taking in his rather dishevelled appearance. 'Er... early make-up call?'

He nodded. 'I'm guessing you have to be there with Morgana. Shame you don't get your day in Paris.'

She pulled a face. 'Yeah. If only Uther could actually make his mind up about when he actually wants us -' then she remembered who she was talking to. 'I mean – I wasn't trying to suggest that – what I meant was -'

He smiled. 'I know what you meant.'

There was an awkward pause.

'So – er – do you think you'll be – er – _done – _by tomorrow night?'

It took her a second to realise what he was talking about. 'Oh – oh, yeah. It never lasts very long -' then she stopped talking when she saw how uncomfortable he looked. 'Yeah, I should be finished by tomorrow,' she finished quietly.

'Good.' He nodded. 'I'll, er, give you your reward tomorrow night, then. Shall we use my room?'

She hesitated. This was not what she had been planning; she was meant to be stopping their get-togethers; she was supposed to be cutting ties. But even as these thoughts were running through her head, she somehow found herself saying, 'Yeah, we'll use your room. Providing it's tidy, of course.'

What was she doing?

Why couldn't she just say no?

'Excellent,' he smiled at her. 'I'll, er, just go and put some jeans on...' he had the nerve to leave the door open as he put on black jeans, socks and shoes. For some reason, Gwen stayed where she was in the corridor, watching him dress. It was only when he came back out into the corridor and locked the door that she snapped out of her trance.

'Shall we?' he gestured down the corridor, and the pair began to walk to the restaurant. They didn't speak, though their arms kept brushing against each other, but as soon as they approached the ground floor they were sure to put a wide space between them. Morgana and Merlin were already at the round table, but apart from that the restaurant was empty.

They sat down on either side of Morgana and Merlin; at once, Gwen struck up a conversation with Morgana, deliberately avoiding eye contact with the two men. Arthur got the message and poured himself a strong cup of black coffee, doing his best not to fall back to sleep then and there at the table. Twenty minutes later, they had all finished and stepped out into the lobby area of the hotel. Two men were waiting for them with unreadable expressions; wordlessly, they took them outside and held umbrellas over the four of them as they stumbled into the waiting car.

The driver drove quickly, despite the pouring rain, and they arrived at the castle in a matter of minutes; they half-walked, half-ran under umbrellas towards the trailers, sighing in relief once they stepped into the warmth. As both the actors were in the make-up trailer together, Gwen had no way of avoiding Arthur, which she detested; luckily, he was being kept busy staring straight in front of him at the mirror while a team of four make-up artists painted his face with grotesque battle wounds.

Finally, nearly two hours later, both Morgana and Arthur were finished, both sporting extremely impressive battle scars and wounds. Morgana looked out the window and groaned when she saw it was still raining. 'At least we're filming inside today,' she muttered, and then turned to Gwen. 'Oh, the dress you made me – it's going to be ruined!'

'Don't worry, miss,' said a young woman who looked very official from her perch on the counter, writing on a clipboard, 'you're to get changed in the castle to stop the dress from getting wet. Now, we were going to take you over when the rain slowed down a bit, but it just seems to be getting worse, so we'll make a run for it, all right?'

'Okay. Come on, Gwen...' Morgana grabbed Gwen's hand while putting up a large umbrella with the other, and then the pair of them made a run for it, arriving in the castle within record time. At once, they were ushered into the Great Hall, where a large screen had been set up, presumably for Morgana to change in. Sure enough, the two women were pushed behind it by a stroppy-looking older woman; Morgana was told to undress herself while Gwen was handed the dress to put on the actress. She slid into the silk with ease, looking slightly sad at the scorch marks and rips that had been added on for affect.

A smaller make-up team came to put the finishing touches on Morgana's face and to check nothing had been smudged just as Arthur arrived with Merlin, fully dressed and looking slightly more awake than the last time Gwen had seen him. In a matter of minutes, they had begun shooting.

Unfortunately, nobody seemed to be in the right state of mind. Perhaps it was the weather, or the early hour, or the two factors combined, but Arthur kept forgetting his lines and Morgana kept moving to the wrong parts of the room. After the twelfth take failed, Uther walked onto the set and took both the actors into the corner, where they all sat down. After a whole twenty minutes of the trio talking quietly, they took their places once more – Uther behind the camera, Morgana leaning heavily on the table and Arthur slumped in his throne. 'Scene three hundred and thirty-two, take thirteen, and... action,' called Aggravaine.

They did the whole scene perfectly.

There was a long pause while they held their final positions until Aggravaine called, 'Cut,' in a slightly dazed voice. Gwen herself was mesmerised. Camelot Film Company truly was the greatest film company she had even known.

'Go from your twelfth line, Arthur,' said Uther crisply. 'No cameras, please, I just want to hear you say it again.'

Arthur recited the line.

'Again,' his father instructed.

He repeated the line again.

Uther leant back in his chair and frowned over at Aggravaine. 'Shall we -?'

Aggravaine nodded. 'We're cutting the line. No need to shoot again – we'll cut it in editing. All right, everyone, costume changes, please, and then we'll bring on Gwaine and Leon.'

Morgana and Gwen were once again sent behind the screen for Morgana to change into a different version of the same dress: this one was not ripped or scorched, and looked to be in pristine condition. Then another make-up team appeared, wiped off all Morgana's battle wounds and began to paint her as a beautiful, respectable woman. Once they were finished half an hour later, the crew were given ten minutes before starting to shoot again.

'Gwen?' said Morgana timidly. The two of them were still in their chairs behind the screen, hidden from the rest of the crew.

Gwen looked up from her book. 'Yes?'

'Do you – do you think Leon likes me?'

_Finally. _Gwen smiled at her friend. 'I think he's madly in love with you.' Then she added in a stage whisper, 'He may even love you as much as you love him.'

She blushed. 'I don't _love _him,' she hissed, 'and he doesn't love me.' She paused. 'Besides, even if you were right, and he did love me, why hasn't he said anything to me?'

Gwen smiled again. 'Well, why haven't you?'

Morgana' s eyes widened. 'Oh,' she whispered. 'I dunno, it's a bit awkward, isn't it? I mean, we're about to do our almost-kiss scene, and -'

'This is a kiss scene?' Gwen exclaimed. 'Why didn't you say so?'

'I thought you knew,' Morgana shrugged. 'Anyway, in a couple of minutes I'm going to go and almost kiss him...'

'Hang on. What do you mean by "almost"?'

'Our two characters almost kiss in this scene. We never actually do throughout the entire film, but there are about six scenes where we almost do, and this is one of them.'

'Morgana!' came Uther's voice over the screen. 'We're shooting...'

Morgana pulled a face at Gwen before the two of them stepped out; the filming began.

Overall, it didn't go too badly. Morgana and Leon's almost-kiss was filmed to perfection, in Gwen's opinion, and the day ended on a high. Morgana ignored Gwaine's teasing on how the not-kiss had went, while Leon just avoided everyone's eyes and went straight back to his own trailer without a word. Gwen thought he must be absolutely drenched until they also stepped outside and saw the rain had turned into nothing but a thin drizzle. Gwaine had dragged Morgana off to talk to her about something "very important", so Gwen found herself walking back to Morgana's trailer alone.

A hand snatched her arm and dragged her into the darkness between two trailers without warning. She was about to scream when she saw it was Arthur who had brought her here. 'Hello, Guinevere.' He leant forwards to kiss her, but she found herself pulling away. He frowned. 'What's wrong?'

'I -' she stopped. This was her chance. This was when it ended. 'I can't do this any more.'

'What?'

'I can't – I can't keep just meeting up with you for sex whenever we feel like it, Arthur. You might think it's all right, but it's not, and I can't – I just can't. I'm sorry.'

He let go of her wrist, feeling dazed. She wasn't stopping. She couldn't. 'Don't,' he whispered. 'Come on, we have a good time, don't we?'

She shrugged and smiled a little sadly. 'It's not working, Arthur. I know it; you know it.'

'I don't -'

'Look, we'll just pretend it never happened, all right? We'll do our best not to make it awkward for everyone else, we'll be civil to each other, and... that'll be it. It was a mistake, and I'm sorry that it's gone on for this long. Goodbye, Arthur.' And with that, she hurried away before she did something really stupid.

Arthur reckoned he must have stood there between the two trailers for at least ten minutes before he realised it had begun to rain heavily once more. By the time he had actually forced himself to move and stumbled into his trailer, his hair was plastered down to his forehead, his shoes were holding little puddles of water and his clothes were soaked through. When he shut the door and turned round, it was to see Merlin looking him up and down with a raised eyebrow. He let out a low whistle. 'What the hell have you been doing?' he asked.

'Mind your own,' Arthur muttered. He knew he sounded rude, but he didn't care.

Merlin threw him a towel, and he began to wipe his face dry, not caring about getting his stupid effing make-up on the white cloth.

'Arthur what've you -'

'Piss off, Merlin.'

'But -'

'I said piss off!'

Merlin looked surprised. 'Arthur,' he said quietly, 'we've been through this so many times. Getting angry at me doesn't help anything.'

'I don't care. Please, Merlin, I just need some time alone.'

'Will you be at dinner?'

He paused. 'I don't know. I'll text you.'

'Okay.' Merlin jumped down from his perch on the side and walked over to the door. 'You know where I am if you need me, don't you.' He opened the trailer door, pulled a face at the still-pouring rain, then put his hood up and ran over to the trailer that Arthur knew contained Gwaine.

Once the trailer was empty, Arthur sank down into the nearest chair and put his head in his hands. He couldn't even work out why he cared so much: they had both known it would have to end at some point, after all. But the problem was that he didn't want to stop. He hadn't realised it until now, but he actually looked forward to their nights together. He didn't want it to stop.

He hadn't wanted to stop.

She didn't see him at dinner.

Merlin said he was in his room, learning his lines for tomorrow.

It was for the best, she told herself sternly.

She didn't see him at breakfast, either.

Morgana and Gwen's day off had been switched to today, and Morgana stuck to her word: they got driven to the station and caught a train to Paris on a whim. They went in all the best shops – they even found a huge fabric warehouse where Gwen spent what felt like nearly all her wages on beautiful fabrics of all kinds – one of them, although she hadn't mentioned it, was for Morgana's premiere dress that she had promised to make all those weeks ago. They gouged themselves on every type of Parisian food they could find, and drank so many coffees in so many different cafes that by the time they got on their return train, laden with shopping bags, their heads were slightly buzzing.

They got back to the hotel at half eleven at night – they had eaten on the train – and the restaurant was closed, so she didn't see him then, either.

The next day was Saturday – the day of the bonfire party and fireworks at the theme park.

Everyone was going together.

At breakfast, they all sat together as usual, but the atmosphere couldn't have been tenser. Arthur and Gwen were sat on opposite sides of the table, both unnaturally quiet and hardly daring to look up from their plates of food.

'Oi, Princess!' called Gwaine, and Gwen looked up. 'You're not ill, are you?'

She shook her head. 'Just a bit tired. We did a lot of walking in Paris yesterday.'

'Well, you'd better be on top form for this party tonight. We've got half of it roped off just for our crew, and I'm expecting at least one dance with you.'

Gwen hesitated, and then grinned. Maybe it was time to live a little. 'You'll be getting more than one, don't worry,' she called back. Gwaine chuckled and took a sip of his coffee.

Arthur had the day off, but Gwen was working, meaning that they wouldn't have to keep awkwardly avoiding each other for the entire day.

The day went quickly, and before she knew it Gwen was back at the hotel in Morgana's room, both of them getting ready for the party. Gwen had finally decided on the short, tight, red dress that Morgana had persuaded her to buy back when they had first arrived in France and even took the time to straighten her hair – it took almost an entire hour, but looking at the final result she decided it had been worth it. She turned to look Morgana, who was wearing a black dress as short as hers but without straps, and black stilettos that were almost identical to Gwen's.

'Gwen?' said Morgana quietly just as they were about to leave the room. 'Are you – are you all right?'

Gwen blinked. She hadn't been expecting that. 'Of course I am,' she said brightly. 'Why wouldn't I be?'

Morgana smiled; their eyes met. 'You don't have to lie to me, you know,' she told her. 'Something's not right. No offence, but you're a terrible actress. Now, are you going to tell me what's happened?'

For a split second, Gwen seriously considered telling her everything; the temptation of just talking about everything that had happened with _him _over the past weeks – well months, really, right from their first encounter on the train. But she couldn't. She couldn't do that to Arthur.

She shook her head. 'There's nothing to talk about.'

Morgana smiled an annoyingly knowing smile. 'Yes, there is. I get that you don't want to talk about it right now, but you know you can talk to me about anything at any time, all right?'

Gwen smiled. 'Thanks, Morgana.' The two women picked up their clutches. 'Shall we go?'

Downstairs in the lobby, it was packed with most of the crew, all dressed up for the party. Someone had thought to put on some music while they waited for the cars to arrive, and it was difficult to hear each other over the loud beats. Finally, the cars arrived and they all piled in together: thankfully, Arthur and Merlin had been shoved into a different car from the rest of them. Gwen found herself wedged between Gwaine and the door, meaning that she had to lean into the actor's body to avoid being impaled by the door handle. 'Getting cosy already, Princess?' he whispered so no one else in the car could hear. She rolled her eyes in reply.

Gwaine leant in even closer and whispered, 'You've done something. I can tell.'

She turned to look at him, trying not to blush. 'What on earth are you talking about?' she said quietly, somehow managing to keep her voice steady.

He looked triumphant. 'You've been having sex with a guy. I can just tell; you can see it in your eyes. And now you've stopped. And you want to show him that you don't give a damn.'

Gwen really didn't see any point in lying to Gwaine. 'Yes,' she said in amazement. 'But don't tell anyone, please...'

'Your secret's safe with me.' He mimed zipping his mouth shut. 'But you're obviously not going to tell me who it is, are you?'

She smiled and shook her head. 'Sorry.'

'No problem. Want to forget all about him and get wasted?'

She grinned. 'It's so tempting.'

'Don't worry, I'm very good at getting people drunk.'

Gwen laughed at this as the cars pulled up outside the theme park; she shivered slightly as they stepped out into the cold; laughing again when Gwaine wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. 'We'll forget all about him,' he whispered as they went inside the marquee that had been resurrected. A large beaded wall with a deep red cloth covering the one gap was at the end, and the crew were led through to what was clearly the private part of the party that had been reserved for the crew members. There was a large bar in the corner, the lighting was dim and the music was almost deafeningly loud.

Gwaine took Gwen by the hand and dragged her over to the bar. 'Two of the strongest shots you've got, love,' Gwaine bellowed to the very attractive, skimpily-clad blonde woman behind the bar. She smiled at him and produced to small glasses of clear liquid. He blew her a kiss and then picked up both the shot glasses, handing one to Gwen; she took it gratefully, the anticipation growing. 'Cheers,' he mouthed over the pounding music, and they clinked glasses before downing their drinks together.

This wasn't Gwen's style at all – deliberately getting drunk with a flirtatious man – but tonight, she was up for trying something new. She just wanted to stop thinking about Arthur for one night – to escape from it all. If getting drunk would achieve that, then that was what she would do.

After just one more shot, Gwen happened to look across the dancefloor and saw Arthur standing in the corner, staring straight at her with a furious expression. After a second she realised it was probably because Gwaine had one hand resting on her bare leg. She felt a sudden wave of angry ripple through her: what gave him the right to be annoyed with her? He didn't _own _her, he didn't have any hold over her – not any more, anyway.

She was angry because he wasn't letting her move on.

Gwaine tried to follow her gaze to see who she was looking at, but as soon as she realised what he was trying to do she averted her eyes to the dancefloor instead. Gwaine got the message and whispered into her ear, 'He's here, isn't he? The guy you got involved with.'

She couldn't bring herself to look at him as she nodded. Gwaine chuckled, and pulled her to her feet. 'Come on, Princess. Forget about him. Dance with me.' They moved onto the dancefloor, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling their bodies closer together. They began to sway slightly, her dress rubbing against his t-shirt and jeans ensemble, and soon enough their hands had become entwined. He leant forwards so they were resting cheek to cheek, when he felt that her entire body was rather stiff and tense.

'Relax,' he said into her ear over the music. 'I'm not going to try anything. But if he's here, and he's either on the dancefloor or standing at the edge we'll make him realise what he's missing.' And with that, he started to dance properly with her.

Arthur felt like hitting someone.

Why was she doing this to him? Was she deliberately dancing so seductively with Gwaine, their bodies dangerously close? Was this part of her plan? To tease him to the point of madness, for a punishment after making her feel so _dirty _during all the nights they had shared together?

He downed the rest of his shot in one and put it down o a nearby table. It was a moment before he realised that Vivian had appeared next to him, her breasts practically spilling out of the strapless dress she had managed to squeeze herself into and her long legs on display for all the world to see. 'Fancy a dance?' she said, raising an eyebrow. 'You're looking quite lonely, standing here by yourself...'

He looked her up and down, taking in her slutty appearance. Then he glanced across at Gwen, who was still dancing with Gwaine. Their eyes met for a brief second, and she bit her lip, grinding her body against Gwaine's before looking away again. Arthur's mouth curved up into a wicked smile.

Two could play at this game, he thought to himself as he pulled Vivian onto the dancefloor with him.

'Arthur certainly looks like he's enjoying himself,' Gwaine commented a minute later, looking at something over Gwen's shoulder. They rotated, and Gwen felt her eyes widen when she saw Arthur and Vivian dancing just as intimately as she and Gwaine were.

'Indeed,' muttered Gwen, narrowing her eyes at the scene. Then, hers and Arthur's eyes met. Gwen could practically feel her blood boil, and she could see the same emotion in his eyes: they were absolutely furious with each other for what they were doing and had done. The two didn't break eye contact as both made their dances with their respective partners even more daring. Eventually, it got to the point where they might as well have been tearing off their partners' clothes, it was so passionate.

'Someone's in an interesting mood,' murmured Gwaine into her ear, making her jump. She had almost forgotten that he was still there. The song finished, and he took her by the hand, leading her back towards the bar. 'You look like you could do with another drink.' Two more shot glasses of clear liquid appeared, and Gwen downed hers in one; Gwaine watched, impressed, and then followed suit. She glanced over and saw Arthur still watching.

'Come on,' she said suddenly, pulling Gwaine to his feet again, 'let's dance again.'

He laughed and happily obliged.

The four of them danced for at least two hours, nearly entirely non-stop, until neither Gwen nor Arthur could take it any longer. 'I think I need some air,' Gwen finally said, pulling away from Gwaine. 'I'll be back in a minute.'

'Do you want me to come with you?'

'I'll be fine,' she assured him, and then looked for an exit other than having to go through the main part of the party. She spotted a small fire exit in the corner and escaped through it the darkness of outside, stepping into the woods, which were right next to the exit she had just used.

She did nothing but lean back against a tree and closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her disappear out of the fire exit. 'I'll be back in a minute,' he said shortly to Vivian, but she wasn't listening: she was too busy reapplying her make-up with a small compact mirror. He also ducked out of the fire exit and went into the trees.

Searching.

'Guinevere.' She opened her eyes; he was standing before her. She'd known he would follow her in.

'I hate you,' she whispered. 'How dare you make me feel this way?'

'Oh, so now it's my fault?'

'Of course it's your fault! You're the one that kissed me first; you're the one that brainwashed me into sleeping with you!'

'_Brainwashed? _I _brainwashed _you into sleeping with me? Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?'

'I don't care how I sound to _you, _Arthur Pendragon. I hate you so much right now! I'm so angry, I could hit you – I hate what you've made me into -'

'The feeling's mutual,' he snarled. 'Honestly, I just -'

'I swear, if you say one more word -'

He couldn't take it any longer.

He kissed her with more passion than he ever had before, seizing her face with both hands. She gasped at his touch, and their tongues slid into each other's mouths. With mere moments she had jumped and wrapped her legs around his waist (a difficult feat given the tightness of her dress, which led to it riding up her thighs until it was more like a top than a dress), allowing him to carry her further into the woods. He threw her down onto the dirty ground, landing on top of her; luckily, the shelter of the trees had protected the floor from the recent rain. 'I – hate – you -' she gasped out between kisses, fumbling with his belt.

'I don't care,' he growled. 'Need you... now.' He could taste the alcohol on her breath, and she on his, but neither cared. This wasn't gentle at all.

His kisses were hard against her mouth; they almost felt bruised.

They kept their top halves covered due to both the cold and the lack of time they knew they had, but tore each others' underwear – and in Arthur's case, trousers – off with such enthusiasm that it was a wonder nothing got ripped.

Her nails dug into his back as she cried out, leaving marks in the skin.

Finally, when they were finished, they made themselves decent once more and lay side by side on the bracken, catching their breaths. 'I hate you,' Gwen muttered once more, fixing her hair. She paused. 'That really was the last time, you know. I can't – I just can't carry on.'

'So... that was our goodbye sex?'

She hesitated, and then smiled. 'That was our goodbye sex. I think... I really do think it's time to put this... mistake... behind us.'

A mistake. The words echoed around his head before he finally nodded. 'All right,' he said eventually. 'You go back inside, then, and I'll just... wait here for a few minutes. Have a good night.'

She squeezed his hand. 'You too. I'm glad we ended on good terms. I'll see you soon.' And with that, she stood up, straightened her dress, smoothed down her hair, and disappeared back to the marquee.

Once again, she had left him.

He lay on the floor for a while after, not caring that he was starting to shiver, until a voice calling out his name made him jump to his feet. A moment later, Merlin appeared through the trees.

'Arthur!' he said again, looking relieved. 'You've been gone ages, I was beginning to think something had happened...' then he looked Arthur up and down properly, squinting in the darkness. 'What _have _you been doing?'

'None of your business,' said Arthur numbly. Gwen didn't want to be with him anymore. He felt hollow and... _lonely. _

'But -'

'Piss off, Merlin. For once in your life, will you just do what you're told and leave me alone?' he barked. There was a shocked silence for a moment and then Merlin took a step back.

'Fine,' he said quietly. 'I'll be inside if you need me.' He turned on his heel and strode off in the same direction that Gwen had gone.

Once he was out of sight, Arthur sank down onto his knees. He knew Gwen was right – it wasn't working. But still, even though he knew it was wrong, he didn't want it to stop. He enjoyed their time alone together. He loved how she had looked when he had woken up to find her asleep, her skin practically glowing. He loved the sound of her laugh when she was with Morgana, he loved the twinkle in her eye when she was teasing someone (usually him), he loved her confidence when they played poker, he loved how her hair shone in the sun, how she presented herself, how she dressed herself, how she held herself...

'Shit,' he whispered what he'd done. 'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.'

He'd done the one thing that he'd promised himself would never happen.

He'd fallen in love with Guinevere Leodgrace.

Breakfast the next morning was practically silent.

Everyone had the day off, which was lucky, as nobody had even attempted to get out of bed before eleven. Some hadn't even made it back to their own rooms – after the theme park had closed its gates at three in the morning, Gwaine, Leon, Percival, Steve (one of the cameramen) and Gwen had all ended up staying in Morgana's room, making themselves comfortable on the floor – except Gwaine, who had somehow managed to get the entire bed to himself.

Eventually, they had dragged themselves down to the restaurant at half eleven to take full advantage of the all-you-can-eat English breakfast buffet that had been laid out especially for them: they each stacked a plate with greasy bacon, sausages, eggs and beans and poured themselves the strongest black coffees imaginable. No one spoke as they ate – Gwaine and Morgana had both put on sunglasses to help with the pain, and like the rest of them they were slumped so far down in their seats they were practically horizontal.

Merlin, the lucky sod, was the only one who wasn't hungover. He sat between Gwen and Leon, beaming round at all of them as he took in their pale, sickly appearances. 'I keep telling you,' he said in a sing-song voice, 'alcohol is a poison. I don't know why you insist on _poisoning _yourself nearly every time we go out...'

Gwen felt like throwing up, preferably all over Merlin. The smug man didn't drink – or eat meat, for that matter. He said he didn't agree with slaughtering innocent animals just to feed someone's appetite.

'Merlin, my friend,' groaned Gwaine, closing his eyes and slumping back in his seat, 'you're right. I'm never drinking again, for as long as I live.'

Merlin rolled his eyes and took a sip of his orange juice. 'You say that every time you have a hangover this bad, Gwaine. How much did you drink last night? I've never seen you in such a bad state before.'

Gwaine jerked his thumb in Gwen's direction. 'Ask this one. I'm telling you, she's a bad influence on me.'

Gwen would have smiled at this, but she was too focused on not throwing up.

'Morning.'

They all looked up to see Arthur standing by their table, dressed in tracksuit bottoms, a t-shirt and trainers.

Morgana narrowed her eyes at him. 'Why don't you look as if you're about to die, too?'

Arthur smirked. 'Because I had the sense not to go completely out of my mind last night, because I knew what today would be like if I did. Besides, the tiny bit of a hangover I had has gone – I've been in the gym all morning.'

They all stared at him.

'You're not human,' whispered Leon hoarsely, taking a large sip of his coffee.

'You mean I'm not stupid. I'm off to the castle – father wanted me for a meeting at twelve. Have fun at your hangovers.' He grinned at them and then (or so it seemed to them) flew out of the restaurant and into the lobby.

Gwen stared after him, a strange feeling of regret settling in her stomach.

For the next month and a bit, Arthur tried really hard.

He really did – he was trying to be nice. Since that night at the theme park, he hadn't touched a drop of alcohol. He held doors open for people; he tidied up his own mess instead of leaving it all for Merlin to sort out. He became more involved with the making of the film, something that pleased Uther and Aggravaine greatly – he was set to take over the company, after all.

And it was all to impress Guinevere.

He had stopped trying to deny his love for her long ago – it was pointless to deny it, he had soon realised. All he could do now was try and make her feel the same way. He kept a safe distance, of course, making sure no one else knew how he felt. Unfortunately, he was running out of time.

The twentieth of December was the last day of filming in France – the next day, everyone was getting the train back to England for Christmas before filming resumed, this time in Wales. For some reason, Arthur had a feeling that if Guinevere didn't love him by the time they returned to England, she never would.

But for once, luck was on his side. The end of filming in France marked the halfway point in filming the entire film, meaning the legendary mid-point party was approaching, which would take place on the night of the last shoot. The moment Aggravaine had called "cut" for the last time, the crew had gone into fast-forward to get packed away as quickly as possible to give them as much time as they could get to prepare for the party. The cars brought them back to the hotel in record time, and Gwen and Morgana rushed up to Gwen's room to get changed. They had four hours before the cars would pick them up – just enough time.

'Put this on,' Gwen commanded, handing a blindfold over to Morgana. Her palms were slightly sweaty – this was the night she would give Morgana her surprise Christmas present – a dress she had made especially for the actress for tonight's party. The dress code was very strict – formal, with all dresses touching the floor. To Gwen, it sounded more like a ball than a party – Uther had even managed to book the castle's Great Hall as the venue.

'Gwen?' said Morgana, bemused as she put the blindfold on. 'What are you doing?'

Gwen took the dress out of the bag with shaking hands and brushed the material over Morgana's hands. 'This is your Christmas present from me,' she said.

Morgana gasped. 'This isn't – this isn't a dress, is it?'

'It is.'

Morgana gasped. 'Guinevere Leodgrace, you are the best friend I could have ever wished for, and I love you.'

Even though she knew she couldn't see it, Gwen smiled. 'No problem. Now, take your jeans and t-shirt off so I can put it on you.'

Morgana obeyed, allowing her friend to sort the dress out around her. She felt a zip being slid up her side, and the ruffling of a skirt brushing against the floor. Finally, after five or ten minutes of silence, Gwen said, 'All right, you can take the blindfold off.'

She did as she was told.

Gwen saw Morgana's eyes fill with tears as she stared at her reflection in the floor-length mirror. The dress was a shimmering gold, swirling tightly around her chest and then spilling out towards the bottom onto the floor. The hem of the dress was lifted up and attached to the golden glittering bangle on her wrist, and the thick straps at the top were crystallised with thousands of tiny sequins. 'I love it,' Morgana whispered, turning slightly so she could see the back. 'Thank you so much...'

Gwen smiled. 'You're welcome. You wait until you see your dress for the premiere!'

Morgana sniffed, and dried her eyes. 'You're going to have a challenge, making a dress more beautiful than this. What about you? What are you wearing?'

Gwen grinned and got another dress out of the wardrobe. 'Here's one I made earlier.'

They arrived at the castle just in time, shivering as they stepped out into the cold. Luckily, the cars had been given special permission to drive up to the courtyard, meaning they had hardly any distance to walk. Both women gasped when they saw what had been done with the Great Hall: small hexagonal tables had been set up around the edge of a giant dancefloor, which was lit with candles. An orchestra was set up in the far corner, tuning their instruments as the room began to fill.

'Blimey.'

Arthur looked over at Merlin, who was staring at something with an open mouth. Arthur followed his gaze, and felt his own mouth open, too.

Guinevere and Morgana were stood on the other side of the room, talking to each other, and Arthur could honestly say he had never seen two more beautiful women in his life. Morgana was wearing something golden which would no doubt make Leon a very happy man tonight, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Guinevere.

She had let her hair stay curly tonight, cascading down her back and shining in the candlelight. The dress she wore... it was exquisite. The material was a deep, rich red – Pendragon red, even. It flowed down to the ground, each sequin catching the light as she moved, while the top half clung to her figure, enhancing her cleavage subtly enough to still be deemed decent.

The orchestra started to play a waltz, and he watched, dazed, as she accepted Gwaine's hand and began to dance with the charmer. That old feeling of jealousy began to creep up on him again. Tonight.

He would have to tell her tonight.

'Gwen!' someone whispered her name and she looked into the dark corner of the room. The party had been going for a good hour and a half now, and she had spent most of it with Gwaine – as friends, of course. He was quickly becoming one of her favourite people to be around, as he told fantastic stories and was an excellent dancer. She squinted slightly and saw it was Morgana who had called her.

'Gwen, I just heard Leon's going to ask me to dance,' Morgana hissed once her friend had come closer. 'What do I do?'

Gwen laughed. 'You dance, of course. Tonight's the night – go for it.' She winked, and then saw Leon approaching, looking more nervous than he had ever looked before. 'I'll leave you to it. Have fun...'

She went back to join where she had been standing with Gwaine, Percival and Merlin.

An hour later, and she was ready to leave. It had been a long day, and she still had to pack for the train tomorrow morning. She had said her goodbyes to Morgana, just before her second dance with Leon, and to the boys, but now it was time for sleep. She would call for a taxi to take her back to the hotel – as she stepped back into the courtyard, she realised just how cold it was. Even as she thought this, she realised it was beginning to snow. Unfortunately, there was no one else out here to share her childhood joy with.

She couldn't believe they'd already been filming for six months – it had flown by unbelievably quickly. But now it was time to return to England, and, for a precious few days, her family. And Arthur – Arthur, who had been almost _pleasant _to be around these last few weeks. Speaking of which...

'Guinevere!'

She turned round to see Arthur hurrying towards her, looking extremely handsome in his suit with its open white collar. 'You're not leaving already, are you?' he asked slightly breathlessly.

'Er... yes. I'm tired, and I've got an early train tomorrow...'

'Don't go,' he said quickly.

She stared him. 'Pardon?'

'Don't go,' he repeated with more certainty. 'You see, over the past few weeks, since we stopped... you know... I've begun to see you in a different light. You're funny, and you're clever, and you're kind – not that I didn't think these things about you before – I just mean -'

'Arthur, have you been drinking?' she asked, slightly amused.

'No!' he paused. 'Oh, this really isn't how I planned this.'

'Planned what?'

'I – I don't know -'

'Arthur, I've really got to go now, I'm freezing. If you want to talk, then we'll catch up after Christmas, okay?' she touched his arm gently and then began to walk away.

'No, I – Guinevere Leodgrace, I'm in love with you!'

She stopped in her tracks. Around her, the snow was beginning to fall more thickly, settling on the ground. Slowly, she turned back round to face him. 'What did you just say?' she whispered.

'I said – I said I'm in love with you,' he said again. 'I'm sorry if you don't feel the same way, but I've felt like this for too long now, and I don't think either of us can escape from the fact that -' he stopped talking and swallowed. Suddenly, she was a lot closer. 'The fact that -' he tried again, but once more fell silent.

She might have said something, but he didn't care, because suddenly her lips were on his for the briefest of moments and then she had pulled away, but then their lips met again, and then for a third time, and her fingers had become laced through his –

'Does that mean – does that mean you feel the same way?' he whispered.

She laughed quietly. 'I think it's safe to say I've felt that way for longer for longer than I'd care to admit.'

'Really?' he raised an eyebrow. 'And how long would that be, exactly?'

'How long have you got?'

He grinned and kissed her again. 'We've got all night.'

**Yep, you're not hallucinating. This is the quickest – and by far the longest – update I've ever done. **

**So here's the thing. When I began this story, I was aiming for about fifty reviews – sixty, if I was lucky. But after just six chapters, I have ninety two reviews – and we're only halfway there. Could we get to one hundred reviews with this chapter? Go on, let's do it! The more reviews I get, the quicker I update, as you can see...**

**Words cannot express how much I love you guys. Seriously, you're the best. See you soon (maybe ;)) and please review!**

**xxxxx**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

All in all, Gwen thought that had been one of the best Christmases she had ever had.

She had returned not to her tiny, damp flat in central London but to her Dad's comfortable home in South London instead, where the houses actually had room for gardens and there was always a place to park. Elyan hadn't bothered to show his face again, but no one had expected him to, and the card and gift vouchers he had sent in the post had been a pleasant surprise. The food had been spectacular, and they had been joined for the meal by Tom's elderly neighbour Mrs Lang. Presents had been given and received, and numerous round-robin texts had attacked Gwen's phone.

But the best present of all had come late at night, just as she was pulling the covers around her in bed. Her Dad had already retired for the night, and Mrs Lang had returned to her own home.

Her phone rang – an unknown number. Frowning, she picked up. 'Hello?'

'Merry Christmas, Guinevere,' said a very familiar voice on the other end of the line.

She sat bolt upright in bed. 'Arthur!'

'Hello,' he said cheerfully.

'What – I mean – how did you get my number?'

It was funny – they were in love, they had known each other for months, and yet it had never crossed their minds to swap numbers.

'From Morgana, of course. I searched her phone while she wasn't looking.'

'Ah.' She laughed. She felt giddy; Arthur had called her. He was making an effort; she didn't know why this meant so much to her, but it did.

'So how's your Christmas been?' he asked as she rested against the headboard of her bed, adjusting her pillows to make herself more comfortable.

'Very good,' she realised, 'really, really good. I'm at my dad's house -'

'Should I be scared?'

She laughed. 'It's all right, he's asleep.'

'That's why I called this late,' he admitted, 'I didn't want to take you away from whoever you were with.'

'That's... very considerate of you,' she smiled.

'I know.' He sounded pleased with himself.

'So what about you? How's your Christmas been?'

He sighed. 'Pretty boring. I'm at my Dad's, and he's had this big dinner with loads of important people in the industry. I had to be polite all evening.'

'I bet that was a stretch for you,' she teased.

'Oh, it was. The effort nearly killed me, and I didn't even have Morgana to wind up.'

'She's in Italy, isn't she?'

'Yeah – some old friends who invited her over, or something. Lucky.'

Gwen laughed. 'Surely you're not jealous of Morgana!'

'No!' he said quickly. 'No, not at all. I just think I would happily swap places with her.'

'And of course, that's completely different from being jealous, I suppose?'

'Oh, completely different. Polar opposites, in fact.'

They both knew this argument wasn't going to get them anywhere, but it made a conversation and that was worth it.

There was silence for a moment as they simultaneously admitted defeat.

'When do you start work again?' she asked, fiddling with the corner of her duvet.

'The fourth, I think, but I'm due to check into the hotel the night before,' he told her. 'What about you?'

'The fifth,' she said regretfully.

He sighed down the phone. 'And there was me looking forward to a night together after our first day back.'

'Well,' she said, trying to hide her disappointment, 'we'll just have to spend the night together after _my _first day back – which, technically, is still after your first day.'

He chuckled. 'I suppose.' There was more silence for a moment, but it didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable – it just felt _right. _

Then she heard a voice on Arthur's side of the line in the background – an official-sounding voice, Gwen thought. There were more incoherent words, and then she heard him lift the phone back up to his ear. 'I've got to go,' he said regretfully. 'I'm being summoned back into the dining room.'

'Summoned?' Gwen echoed, amused. 'They can... they can _summon _you?'

Arthur laughed. 'I know, I know. It's ridiculous. I'll see you on the fifth, then, okay?'

'Okay.' Even though she knew he couldn't see, she smiled.

'And Guinevere?'

'Yes, Arthur?'

'I love you.'

She felt her heart melt. 'I love you too.'

The line went dead, and she lay back down in her bed, her smile still refusing to leave her face. Who'd have thought back in their first meeting that Arthur Pendragon would be saying those three words to her – or more importantly, that she'd be saying them back?

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Those ten days before Gwen returned to work were some of the longest she had ever had to live through. When the time finally came for her to pack her suitcase once more and catch a train – this time to Cardiff – she could barely contain herself. It wasn't just Arthur she was looking forward to seeing, either; she had missed her other friends too, Morgana and Merlin especially. She was also dying to find out what the end result of the end-of-filming-in-France party had been for Morgana and Leon's relationship status (she was almost certain that it would have changed to something more serious by now).

She arrived at the station in Cardiff exactly on time and got a taxi to the hotel she would be living in for the next few months. When she found her room, she realised it wasn't really that different from the one in France: the same, big-enough space, the same sized bathroom, the same sort of large double bed... she smiled to herself as she put her suitcase on the bed and then checked her watch: there was just enough time to freshen up in the bathroom before heading to the Camelot Film Studios, which were literally just round the corner from the hotel.

The studios were simply amazing. She had never seen anything like it. At every turn there was a new set, some of them still being put together and there were cameras _everywhere – _not just ones being used for the film, but also CCTV in-between the sets. Gwen was ushered up to the second floor, where all the dressing rooms were, and was led into Dressing Room Number Three to see Morgana sat at in front of her mirror, hair in rollers and reading a magazine. Gwen cleared her throat and, upon looking up from her magazine, Morgana screamed in delight and rushed over, scooping Gwen up in a hug so tight she couldn't breathe.

'Oh, I've missed you!' said Morgana excitedly. 'We've got so much to talk about! I'm so sorry I didn't call, but I was so busy in Italy and I've had so many promotional shoots and interviews -'

Gwen smiled. 'It's fine,' she assured her.

They got to work on getting Morgana into a costume – a ripped and torn version of a dress in velvet red with golden embroidery, one of Gwen's first ever ones. Once again it nearly killed Gwen to see her beautiful creations being ruined, even if there was still a pristine version for other films. However, the scene today was not for a perfectly dressed woman – this was near the end, where Morgana's character had been locked up and abused for weeks on end. The hair and make-up was done relatively quickly, and they arrived on set in good time. Gwen tried to look around furtively, but couldn't see who she was looking for.

'Who's in this scene, again?' she asked trying to sound nonchalant.

'Just me and Percival,' said Morgana, 'but some of the knights had a scene earlier this morning, so they might be staying to watch.' She said it off-handedly, but there was something in her tone that made Gwen suspicious.

'Which knights?' she asked.

'I don't know,' said Morgana too quickly, her cheeks turning pink.

'Leon's coming, isn't he?' Gwen realised. 'Leon's coming to watch you do your scene, and – and you went to watch him do his... aw, that's so sweet!'

'Let's not talk about it now,' said Morgana quietly, and Gwen knew she was worried about being overheard by other members of the crew. 'Tell you what – shall we have a girl's night tonight? There's a supermarket about ten minutes away, I can send someone out to get us popcorn and drinks, and we can choose a rom-com because I actually remembered my DVD set this time. We can catch up properly then.'

'That sounds perfect,' Gwen agreed just as Aggravaine appeared and called everyone on set into their places. Gwen looked around once more – there were Gwaine and of course Leon standing at the side of the set grinning across at her. Once she had fixed Morgana's costume in place and had been ordered off the set she made her way over to the two actors and gave them both a quick hug.

'Hello, Princess,' said Gwaine into her ear, his stubble rubbing against her neck. 'Make up with that guy we were making jealous in France?'

The smile on her face must have said it all, because he chuckled.

'Well, any time you need to make the guy jealous again...' he very obviously roamed his eyes over her body and winked at her, 'you know I'll be more than happy to help.'

'Oh, shut up,' she grinned and turned to watch the set as Aggravaine called, 'Action!'

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She didn't see Arthur at all during her first day back; she got wind from a passing comment that he would be in later for some costume checks, but wouldn't actually be filming anything today. It was with a slightly disappointed mood that she helped Morgana undress in her dressing room, but when her phone buzzed in her pocket she had to try and stop her expression from changing as she read the text message from _him:_

_Sorry couldn't see u today... u finished yet? If yes, go to dressing room 21, I'll be there waiting until 7.30 xx _

Gwen checked her watch – it was twenty past seven. Morgana finished putting her clothes back on and collected her belongings, putting her bag on her shoulder and doing up her coat. 'Are you coming?' she asked Gwen, who hadn't moved from her perch on the dressing table.

Gwen snapped her phone shut and slid it back into her pocket. 'Um – you go ahead,' she said. 'I want to check the rest of the costumes are all right – I'll only be five minutes.' Then she thought about where she was going. 'Or fifteen.'

Morgana smiled. 'Okay. When you get back to the hotel, come to my room and we can get a pizza – room one hundred and sixty-four, okay?' she blew her friend a kiss and then left the room.

She waited until Morgana's footsteps had completely faded away before sticking her head out into the corridor; there was no one in sight. Shutting the door behind her, she made her way down the corridor in the opposite direction of the exit – the dressing rooms seemed to go on forever, and she saw several more corridors along the way with similar-looking doors. Just as she was passing Dressing Room Fifteen, however, a familiar voice made her stop and turn round.

'Oi, Princess!'

'Oh, hello, Gwaine'.'

Gwaine was sticking his head out of Dressing Room Fourteen, and when she retraced her steps and stopped in front of him he opened the door fully and leant against the doorframe casually, wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. Most women would have swooned at the sight, but Gwen was too used to seeing such confidence and displays from the actor that it didn't affect her.

'Oh, put some clothes on, you attention seeker,' she teased, shaking her head.

'You're only saying that so you won't be tempted,' he replied, and grinned. 'Anyway, it's Friday -'

'Well done.'

'Which means it's poker night,' he continued, undeterred by her sarcasm. 'Are you in?'

Poker night – she had completely forgotten. 'Oh – I can't, not tonight,' she said regretfully. 'I'm spending the night with Morgana, we've arranged it...'

A grin spread across his face. 'You and Morgana are having a sleepover? Oh, my...'

Gwen smacked him on the arm. 'Oh, get your mind out of the gutter!'

'I can't help it, the image is _very _nice,' he winked. 'I'm going to have good dreams tonight, I'm telling you!'

'Goodbye, Gwaine.' She had already started to walk away.

'Goodbye, Princess!'

She heard the door slam shut behind her and immediately began to walk faster, arriving in front of Dressing Room Twenty-One. After quickly checking her appearance in the reflection of her phone screen, she knocked on the door quietly and only had to wait a couple of seconds before it opened to reveal Arthur standing in front of her.

It was like they were seeing each other for the first time all over again. His hair was slightly darker than she remembered and was tousled, his bright blue eyes staring into her brown ones. After a moment she came to her senses and stepped inside; he shut the door behind her.

She wasn't entirely sure how it happened, but suddenly his lips were on hers, desperate, wanting, _needing _her taste. She kissed him back with equal enthusiasm as his hands found their way into her hair, pulling her closer. After what felt like days they finally broke apart, their foreheads resting against each other. 'Hello, Arthur,' she whispered breathlessly.

'Hello, Guinevere,' he replied back just as quietly, and kissed her once more, softer this time but somehow with just as much urgency. How on earth did he manage to do that?

She felt giddy, lightheaded with happiness: this was how it was meant to be, she thought to herself as they stumbled over to the deep brown sofa –this was incredible, this was magical. There was no other way to explain it – this was simply perfection. They lay side by side on the sofa when they had finished, still naked, their hands entwined, their chests pressed up against each other. He brought their hands up and gently stroked her cheek with the back of his finger and her eyes fluttered closed, a happy and content smile playing with her lips.

'I love you,' he whispered, kissing her forehead lightly.

'I love you too,' she murmured back, leaning forwards to kiss him properly once more.

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'What the hell took you so long?'

Arthur looked round at his friends in surprise. He'd arrived in Leon's hotel room for poker with the rest of the knights in plenty of time – hadn't he?

'It's twenty past eight, Arthur!'

Or not.

'Damn.' He took off his coat and threw it onto the bed. 'I'm sorry – costumes checks must have overrun again.' He kicked off his shoes.

'Liar,' said Gwaine, standing up and coming over to stand in front of Arthur. 'I can see it in your eyes...'

The other men laughed, including Merlin, who was the only one not nursing a beer.

'There's a woman involved!' concluded Gwaine triumphantly.

'Don't be ridiculous,' scoffed Arthur as he took his place at the small round table, though inside his heart was thumping. Gwaine couldn't possibly know anything, could he? 'I'm telling you now, Gwaine, that I am not involved with any woman – or man, before you suggest that. I was just with someone from Costumes.' That bit was true, at least...

'Well, if you insist,' Gwaine muttered, and began to shuffle the cards.

'Hang on – isn't Guinevere coming?' asked Arthur as he cracked open a beer, feigning innocence. Guinevere had, of course, told him the reason that she couldn't be neither at poker or in his bed tonight.

'Nah, she's having a sleepover with Morgana,' said Gwaine, raising his eyebrows suggestively and grinning. 'Imagine that...'

There was silence around the table for a moment before Leon cleared his throat. 'Right, back to poker...' he said gruffly, shifting in his seat. The other men all snapped out of their trances, pretending as if nothing had just happened, and the game began.

But as Arthur reached over the table to collect his pile of chips, Merlin was the only one who saw the empty condom wrapper sticking out of his back pocket.

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Meanwhile, in Morgana's room, she and Gwen were having a great time. They had just finished their pizza and were currently browsing through Morgana's film collection for one to watch. 'What about this one?' said Gwen, holding up _Eat Pray Love. _Morgana shook her head.

'Nah, seen it too many times. How about this one?' She held up _Ted._

Gwen shook her head. 'A bit boyish, don't you think?'

'Fair point.' She dug around and pulled out _What Happens in Vegas _with a grin. 'How about this?'

Gwen nodded and smiled. 'I haven't seen that for so long!'

As they were setting up the TV and pouring the popcorn into a large bowl, Gwen looked over at Morgana, who had her back to her as she sorted the TV out, and squinted. There was a small mark on her neck, just above her collarbone – one that definitely hadn't been there earlier.

'Morgana? Did you see Leon when you left the studio?' she asked, amused.

She saw Morgana stiffen. 'I might have,' her friend said carefully. 'Why?'

'Morgana, you don't have to lie to me.'

Morgana turned round and bit her lip, smiling slightly. 'Okay, I saw Leon earlier.'

'That would explain the mark, then,' said Gwen, unable to resist.

'What?' said Morgana quickly. 'What mark?'

She rushed into the bathroom and Gwen heard the gasp as she spotted the rather hickey that was on her pale skin. 'Oh, my -' she came back into the room and sat on her bed, putting her head in her head in her hands. 'How can he have done this to me?' she exclaimed. 'He's put a bloody _mark _on me!'

'It's not that bad,' Gwen tried to reassure her, but they both knew she was lying.

'Of course it's bad! Oh, god, there were paparazzi when I came out of the studios – what if it's shown in the pictures they took? Oh, everyone's going to see! This is a complete -'

'It's just a hickey, Morgana.'

'But everyone will know that I'm seeing someone!' Morgana wailed, flopping back onto her bed dramatically.

'So you're officially seeing each other, then?' asked Gwen to confirm it, and Morgana nodded. She paused and then sat up, turning to face Gwen.

'It happened at that ball, of course,' she said excitedly, getting into full-on gossip mode.

Gwen, of course, was more than happy to find out the details. 'And after the ball?'

Morgana blushed. 'We kissed, Gwen. Nothing more. He was a perfect gentleman and he walked me back to my room and kissed me goodnight.'

Gwen felt her heart melt a little. She had never her friend look happier. 'And did anything happen over the holidays? Oh, no, I forgot you were in Italy -' but Morgana's face instantly changed at this, and Gwen gasped. 'Oh, my god! He went to Italy with you and your friends?'

Morgana averted her eyes and Gwen gasped again. 'It was just the two of you?'

'Yes,' said Morgana, eyes shining, 'and we're in love and it was the most incredible ten days of my life.'

'You're in love?' Gwen echoed. 'Isn't this all a bit... soon?'

'Well, it's not exactly the first time,' Morgana confessed, and Gwen's eyes widened.

'Why am I only finding this all out now?'

'I'm sorry!' said Morgana desperately. 'But it was a long time ago and -'

'_What _was a long time ago?'

There was a pause. 'It was Leon's eighteenth birthday, and he was having a party...' Morgana began with a small smile.

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The poker session didn't end until quarter to twelve.

When they all left Leon's room they split off from each other and Arthur found himself walking back to him own room with Merlin. His friend was in a very strange mood, he noticed: he wasn't talking at a hundred miles an hour like he usually did... in fact, he wasn't talking at all. 'Merlin, are you all right?' he asked curiously. 'You're freakishly quiet tonight.'

They arrived outside Arthur's door. 'Who're you sleeping with?' asked Merlin abruptly. His face was set in a hard expression.

Arthur's heart stopped beating. After glancing down each end of the corridor to check they weren't being followed, he pushed his friend – no, _assistant – _into his room and shut the door behind them. Once the light ad been switched on, he feigned deafness and said, 'Pardon?'

'The girl you're sleeping with,' said Merlin through stiff lips, 'who is she?'

His heart had definitely started to work again – he could feel it beating uncomfortably loud against his chest. 'I don't know what you're talking about,' he lied, although he knew Merlin would be able to see right through him.

'Then why is there an empty condom wrapper in your back pocket?'

Crap. 'Merlin, I can explain -'

'No, you can't!' Merlin shouted, making him jump. 'You promised me – promised the company, promised your father, promised your management – that you'd stop sleeping around, you'd stop the excessive drinking, that you'd start focusing on your work! Who is she, hm? Just another slut you picked up in a club somewhere, I'm guessing? How many other people in the cast has she slept with already?'

'Don't talk about her like that!' said Arthur angrily. He knew Merlin wouldn't be saying these things if he knew who exactly it was he was talking about, but it hurt all the same. 'She's not like that -'

'Of course she's like that! They're always like that when it comes to you, aren't they? Blonde, fake boobs, feathers for brains...'

'Shut up!' Arthur yelled. They hadn't fought like this in a long time. 'Just shut up, Merlin! You don't know what you're talking about, you don't have the faintest idea!' he paused, and tried to calm himself down. 'This girl – this woman – we're not just sleeping together. She's beautiful and intelligent and...' he took a deep breath. 'And I'm in love with her.'

There was a moment's silence and Merlin stared at him. 'Say that again,' he said quietly.

'I'm in love with her,' repeated Arthur, a smile beginning to appear on his face, 'I'm in love with her.' Every time he said the words he was more certain of their meaning. 'We're in love.'

Merlin shook his head. 'No, it can't be true.'

'What? Why?'

'Well, who on earth would want to fall in love with _you_?'

'Hey!' Arthur pretended to be offended. 'Clearly, she couldn't resist my charm...'

'Yeah, right. What did you slip in her drink?'

Arthur shook his head, smiling. 'It's really happening, Merlin. I've fallen in love with the most beautiful woman in the world, and for some reason she loves me back.'

'Well.' Merlin blinked. 'I certainly wasn't expecting that. Arthur Pendragon, in love...' he grinned. 'So who is she?'

Arthur hesitated. He wanted to tell Merlin, he really did, but thought that this was something he should discuss with Guinevere first. 'I can't tell you,' he said. 'Nobody knows about us except you, and...'

'And you're almost enjoying keeping your relationship a secret?'

'Yes,' he realised.

'Okay.' Merlin patted him on the shoulder and then opened the door. 'I'll see you in the morning, all right?'

'All right. Oh, and Merlin?'

'Yeah?'

'Thanks for understanding.'

Merlin nodded. 'It's all right.'

Arthur closed his door and collapsed onto his bed, letting out a sigh of relief.

Merlin walked away down to the other end of the corridor to his own room, smiling slightly bemusedly at the idea of Arthur Pendragon in _love._

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The next morning at breakfast (in the restaurant that really wasn't too different from the one in France) they all sat down at breakfast, still exchanging news from when they all left France. Arthur and Gwen were on opposite sides of the table, and every time they looked across at each other Arthur would hold her gaze for just a moment longer than he usually would and then look away with a small smile. Even though the studio was only round the corner from the hotel, they all had to get cars to work because of security reasons – the paparazzi, it turned out, were relentless.

During their lunch break, while they were queuing up for food in the studio's canteen, Arthur managed to squeeze himself into the line so he was standing behind Gwen. Leaning over her and pretending to look at the selection of salads, he whispered in her ear, 'Merlin knows I'm sleeping with someone.'

He felt her shoulders stiffen. 'What? How?' she whispered back, her lips barely moving.

'He saw the wrapper in my pocket. I _knew _I should have thrown it in the bin...'

She let out a shaky laugh. 'But he doesn't know it's me?'

'No.'

'Well, that's something.' she picked up a plate and began to scoop salad onto it. 'We don't have to tell him, do we? Because right now, I'm really enjoying keeping our relationship a secret.'

'Oh, thank god.' He leant across her to get a plate and as he drew his hand back he accidentally-on-purpose brushed across her chest. 'I like it, too.'

He saw the corners of her mouth lift up in a smile before she moved onto the jacket potatoes with Morgana.

Later that night (or morning, really – it was quarter past one) Arthur and Gwen were lying in Gwen's bed, the covers wrapped around them with her head resting on his chest as _Titanic _played out on the TV before them. Just as Jack declared his love for Rose, Arthur kissed the top of Gwen's head and whispered, 'Okay, I'm not gossiping because real men don't gossip-' Gwen chuckled ' -but seriously, what is going on between Leon and Morgana?'

Gwen laughed again. 'I'm afraid that counts as gossip, Arthur.'

He frowned. 'Well, then, I won't ask.' There was silence for a minute as they turned their attention back to the film. 'All right, I surrender to gossip!' he said, making Gwen jump. 'Are they together now?'

'Yes, they're together now. On the night of the ball they -'

'No! No more details!' Arthur withdrew his arm from around Gwen's shoulders and covered his ears. 'That's my sister. I do not want to think about her getting together with my friend...'

Gwen rolled her eyes and Arthur put his arm back around her. 'Well, you asked.'

'God, it's all I can think about now.'

She smirked. 'We're naked in bed together and all you can think about is your sister getting together with Leon? I'm surprised.'

He shifted down the bed so their faces were level with each other. 'Care to distract me?'

Their lips met and he rolled on top of her, all thoughts of Morgana and Leon forgotten. 'With pleasure,' she whispered.

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As they got back into the routine of filming every day, Gwen began to notice a few differences with working in France and here in Britain.

The main difference was the paparazzi. In France, they had always been there, but they were manageable. Back in Britain, however, they were relentless. It seemed that every street they walked down, the cameras were there, and although at first Gwen found it almost amusing it quickly became tiresome, mainly because they had no shame in trying to get a picture up Morgana's dress when she stepped out of the car. It was perverted, but somehow it was legal.

They were yet to start filming on location, meaning that they were in the warm studios every day. Every few days Arthur and Gwen would stay behind for half an hour or so for some time alone that didn't involve having to stay up until three in the morning – which is what they found themselves doing most nights just so they could be together. It was tiring, especially with their hectic work schedules, and they both found it a bit of a miracle that neither of them had ever overslept.

The couple did, however, manage to work out a system. On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday nights they would sleep in Gwen's room; Arthur would arrive there at one in the morning and would go back to his own room an hour before he was to get his wake-up call from Merlin at whatever time his assistant remembered – usually around seven. On Thursday, Friday and Sunday they would have the same routine but vice versa, with Gwen leaving for her own room at six in the morning. Unfortunately, their rooms were not opposite each other like they had been in France – Gwen's room was on the floor above Arthur's.

One morning, however, luck was not on their side. It was a Friday morning, meaning Gwen was asleep in Arthur's room, but unfortunately her phone's battery had died during the night so her early alarm didn't go off. The only reason she woke up at all was because Arthur's own alarm went off at ten to seven – the "emergency" alarm, as it was known, that went off ten minutes before the cars arrived to take them to the studios. She swore and scrambled around to get all her clothes back on from last night, which woke Arthur up.

'Gwen?' he mumbled. 'What'reyoudoin'?'

'I overslept,' she muttered, now fully dressed, 'so I've gotta go. Love you.' She kissed him quickly on the lips and then left the room, not checking to see if the corridor was empty before hurrying down the stairs at the end.

If she had checked, she might have seen Merlin coming round the other corner, who watched as she left Arthur's room in last night's clothes.

**G'day!**

**What can I say? You, you wonderful, beautiful reviewers. We hit the halfway point of the story and have not only met but gone past my target of 100 reviews – 121 and counting, oh my god! I cannot explain how happy this makes me. Honestly, reviews are the only reason that I keep writing this story (that and the fact that it's a good method of procrastination when studying ;)). **

**So... Merlin knows, dun dun DUNN! Whatever will happen next?! Obviously I know, because I'm writing it, but still. The next chapter should be up within a few weeks, but not too soon – school is **_**hard...**_

**There was actually a point to this author's note, so if you're still reading, here it is: for my last chapter I got a review (I won't say who it was) suggesting that my story seems a little bit sexist to them: they said they thought it was wrong that everyone thought Vivian was a slut because of what she wore and that Gwen shouldn't have felt "used" because she was sleeping with Arthur and nothing more. Now, I'm not saying I disagree with this review, but I'm not agreeing with it either – I'm simply interested to see what the rest of you guys think about it. Did anyone else get the impression that it was just sexist? Because I swear, that was not my intention. As a young woman myself, I am totally for equal rights for men and women. So what do you think? Hey, you know what would be great? If you told me in a review!**

**Um... yeah. I've said it before and I'll say it again: thank you to everyone who has followed/favourite/reviewed this story – your support means the world to me. An especially big thank you to those magical people who have reviewed more than one chapter: I love you all!**

**The film that's mentioned during Gwen and Morgana's sleepover – What Happens in Vegas – is a real film, and if you haven't watched it then you're missing out! I would highly recommend it to anyone, so go and watch it ;)**

**Oh, and from your reviews in general I've gathered that none of you are finding it too inappropriate to keep this at a T-rating, so that's where it'll stay – but don't worry, it's not going to get toned down, either!**

**And just one more thing: I know it's late, but Happy Christmas/Thanksgiving/New Year, and whatever else you celebrated! I hope you all had a good one, I know I did ;)**

**So I'm going to go and write the next chapter now, while you take thirty seconds of your life to review because you love this story so much. Thank you once more and... goodnight! **

**xxxxxx**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

**Quick warning before you start reading – this is the longest chapter I've ever written, so only read if you've got the time!**

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Merlin rested his head back against the wall, his head spinning. Gwen and Arthur. Arthur and Gwen. Arthur and Gwen _in love. _The idea at first seemed completely and utterly preposterous, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Those small smiles they often shared at the table at meal times, how they were always in the same car together, and how when she got into the car before him he would rest her hand on the small of her back to help her in... the casual brushing of hands against each other if one passed something to the other... in fact, the more he thought about it, Merlin couldn't believe he hadn't worked it out before now. They were so obvious it was almost unbelievable.

He was still slightly in shock, his mind reeling at the idea of two people so different falling for each other. If someone had asked him to match up Gwen with someone or Arthur with someone, he certainly wouldn't have put those two together – he didn't think _anyone_ would ever think to put those two together.

But as he mulled the prospect over in his mind, the idea of the two of them together began to make him feel rather uncomfortable. Gwen was like a sister to him, and to think of her with Arthur... he shuddered. He was perfectly aware of his womanising ways and a part of him was worried that he could easily break Gwen's heart as he had done to so many other women in the past. Yes, Arthur had said they were in love, but did he really mean it or was he just saying it to get Merlin off his back? Still pondering these thoughts, he entered the corridor as confidently as possible and rapped loudly on Arthur's door three times to give him the usual wake-up call. 'Get up, Arthur,' he shouted through the door.

A moment later Arthur opened the door. Normally Merlin would have been suspicious at how he didn't seem as asleep as he did usually, but now he knew and the secret was out – not that Arthur knew that he knew, of course.

'Morning,' Merlin trying to stop himself from smirking. 'Good sleep?'

Arthur narrowed his eyes at him. 'Yes,' he said slowly, 'why?'

'Just wondering,' Merlin replied, still grinning. Oh, today was going to be brilliant. 'Did you, uh, get up early or something?'

'No,' said Arthur suspiciously.

'It's just you seem rather awake this morning. I'm used to an incoherent Arthur who can't string a sentence together and resorts to throwing things at me when I have to drag him out of bed...'

'Do you want me to do that, instead?' Arthur offered, reaching behind him for a glass of water. 'There are plenty of things in here I could throw at you -'

Merlin automatically took a step back – it was instinct now. 'Nah, I'm all right. Breakfast's started without you and we're nearly ready to go, so get down to the lobby as soon as you can, okay?'

He continued to grin as he walked downstairs to the restaurant to finish his breakfast.

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Morgana was rather amused. Gwen had missed breakfast entirely and was now hurrying towards her across the lobby, still buttoning up her blouse and trying to fix her hair simultaneously five minutes before the car was meant to leave. 'I'm so sorry I'm late,' she said as soon as she reached her. 'I overslept, and I had to take a shower, and -'

'It's all right,' Morgana reassured her. 'Arthur's still not here, so you're not the last.'

Gwen nodded and looked around the lobby distractedly, still trying to sort out her hair.

Morgana frowned at her. 'You've been very quiet lately, Gwen,' she said. 'I'm beginning to think there's a man involved.'

'When would I get the chance to meet any decent men around here?' Gwen scoffed.

But Morgana had seen it: the split second of hesitation before she had answered, the slight pinkness of her cheeks as she had spoken. Gwen was lying to her, and she was determined to find out the truth.

Both women were distracted when Merlin re-entered the lobby with Arthur in tow, the latter with his hood already up and hands stuffed deep inside his pockets. 'You look ready to go,' Morgana commented. In reply, Arthur glared at her.

If she hadn't at that moment looked over Arthur's shoulder as Leon was approaching them, she would have seen how Arthur's eyes flickered over to Gwen and lingered there for just a second, smiling slightly. If she had turned to see Gwen's reaction, she would have seen her friend smile back just as lovingly.

Morgana didn't see the exchange, but Merlin did.

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Merlin and Arthur got into the same car with Gwaine, Percival and Leon. Once they were all seated, Merlin began to run through today's schedule while Percival ran over his lines. Even before they got out of the car they heard the screams of the waiting fans outside the studio; the actors all exchanged grimaces with each other before stepping out into the madness with Merlin in tow. They spent a couple of minutes posing for photos with fans and refusing to answer reporter's questions before security appeared and ushered them inside.

Arthur and Morgana didn't have any scenes together, meaning he wouldn't get to see Guinevere as much as he would like. However, he was planning a night in together for both of them in his room. He had thought of excuses for both of them – he had to get an early night because of the big fight scene tomorrow, and a costume had ripped so she would have to sew it back together.

The day finally drew to a close, and as they were being driven back to the hotel Arthur pondered over Merlin's strange behaviour. All day long he had been shooting Arthur sly grins and had had an annoying glint of knowledge in his eyes. It was almost as if... almost as if he knew something.

Oh, crap.

They had overslept this morning, and not even thirty seconds after Gwen had left Merlin had arrived – he couldn't have seen her leave his room, could he? Surely not?

But the more he thought about it, the more he was sure Merlin must have found out about him and Guinevere. He couldn't ignore it or sit in denial – what if Merlin told everyone else? No, he would have to confront him and somehow find out what he actually knew without revealing anything else. He sighed.

When had life gotten so complicated?

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At dinner that evening Arthur made sure to sit as far away from Gwen as possible, which was rather difficult considering the table was round. He was glad that Leon and Percival were on either side of him, too, even if it did make him feel rather small. He didn't make his usual eye contact with Gwen and kept an eye on Merlin to make sure he wasn't watching the two of them. It seemed to work.

After dinner they all went into the lobby for a bit of time to relax together – today's scenes hadn't been exactly strenuous, but they felt they deserved a drink or two together nonetheless – and Arthur was becoming increasingly frustrated with not being able to look at Gwen without Merlin watching him. This just made him even more certain that his friend knew his secret.

When they had been in the lobby for about an hour – _there was still time for he and Gwen to have the evening to themselves_, Arthur reminded himself as the clock struck seven – Arthur looked across the lobby and frowned. Gwaine was standing with Guinevere in the corner, talking quietly with smiles on their faces, and even as he watched he saw Gwen rest her hand on Gwaine's arm.

Without thinking about it, he turned to Merlin, who was sitting next to him, and snapped, 'They seem very friendly!', nodding over at Gwen and Gwaine.

Merlin turned slowly, eyes flitting over to where the two culprits were standing, and smirked. 'Why should you care?'

Arthur looked across at Merlin, then back at Gwen, and back at Merlin again. Then he realised his mistake. 'I don't,' he said quickly, trying to appear nonchalant. The two of the turned to watch Gwen and Gwaine again and as they watched, Gwen laughed loudly at something Gwaine had said, putting her hand on his chest for support. 'She can be doing better than that!' he gestured towards the Irishman.

'What, you think she should be setting her sights... higher?'

Arthur shrugged, doing his best to remain off-hand.

'Oh, but I forget -' he smacked his forehead with his hand dramatically, '-she can't – a girl, of Gwen's standing? No.' He shook his head gravely. 'She could never consort with an actor, that's against the _rules.' _He looked across at Arthur slyly, who glared back at him.

'Merlin...'

'Shut... up.'

Arthur grimaced. 'You guessed it.'

They both turned back to watch the two of them, and Gwen kissed Gwaine on the cheek before walking across the room towards the exit. After stopping to talk to Morgana quickly, she brushed past Arthur from his spot on the sofa; as she passed him, her hand gently stroked his own, which was hanging down by the side. He smiled up at her briefly and she smiled back before continuing on her way out of the lobby.

Arthur turned back to see Merlin smirking at him, and in that moment he knew for certain their cover had been blown. Arthur glared at him. 'Not one word,' he hissed menacingly.

Merlin mimed zipping his mouth shut and the two of them sat in silence for a minute before Merlin finally snapped.

'Arthur and Gwen, sitting in a tree...' he sang under his breath.

'Okay, that's it.' Arthur stood up and pinched Merlin on the top of the ear, dragging him out into the entrance of the hotel, much to the amusement of everyone else in the lobby. Once they were alone, Arthur dropped Merlin's ear, who winced, rubbing the sore spot. 'I'm not kidding, Merlin,' he hissed. 'One word and you're dead.'

'Like I would ever tell anyone!' Merlin protested, and Arthur had to admit it was the truth. If there was one thing his lousy assistant was good at, it was keeping secrets. 'I just think this is the perfect opportunity to tease you, that's all.' Then he paused. 'But I mean this in all seriousness.' He lowered his voice. 'If you ever hurt Gwen in any way, not only will I personally make your life hell but I'll get in touch with Gwen's brother and get him to hunt you down. Understand?'

Normally Arthur would have scoffed at the idea of Merlin trying to threaten him, but since he had never met Guinevere's brother and wasn't sure how big he was, he felt a little worried. He made a mental note to ask Guinevere about the size of her brother later. Speaking of which...

He yawned widely and obviously. 'Well, I'm going to bed... long day tomorrow, and everything.'

Merlin nodded. 'Of _course. _Sleeping. That's _exactly _you're going to be doing with my best friend tonight.' He wrinkled his nose in disgust. 'Just don't get her pregnant, all right?'

'Merlin!'

He shrugged. 'Just saying. I don't want to know the details, but I _know _you've slept together.'

'But -'

Merlin raised his hands in defence. 'Hey, hey, I'm just saying...'

'All right, I'm going.' Arthur began to walk towards the stairs.

'Have fun!' Merlin called.

Arthur ignored him.

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He knocked on Gwen's door with slight trepidation. They had arranged to sleep in his room tonight, and it was way too early for her to come to him anyway – it wasn't even eight o'clock, for Christ's sake – but he had to talk to her. She opened the door without revealing her body, sticking her head round, but when she saw who it was she opened the door wider to reveal her body wrapped in nothing but a rather short and tight towel.

'I was just about to take a bath,' she explained quietly, smiling softly. 'What are you doing here?'

All thoughts of talking were quickly leaving his to-do list. 'I, erm...'

She opened the door even wider. 'Care to join me?'

Arthur didn't need asking twice. He entered the room and shut the door quickly behind him. The moment they were in private his lips found hers hungrily and he pushed her up against the wall, his hands framing her face and then starting to roam down past her shoulders to the edge of her towel...

To his surprise and discontent she pulled away, though her cheeks were flushed and her she was breathing rather heavily. When she spoke, however, her voice was quite even. 'I wasn't joking about taking that bath, you know.' And she turned and left him standing there to walk out of sight into the bathroom.

He stood completely still for a moment before coming to his senses and kicking his shoes off, which were followed by his socks and hoodie, undressing as he followed Guinevere's route across the room and leaving a trail of clothes behind him. By the time he actually entered the bathroom all he was wearing were his jeans and underwear, although his jeans quickly joined the trail of discarded clothes when he saw Guinevere sat on the edge of the bath, one hand swirling around in the soapy water and the other slowly unravelling the towel from around her body. Slowly – painfully slowly, in fact – it fell from its shape around her to reveal her true beauty.

Arthur stepped forwards and bent down so he was crouched down in front of her. 'You're so beautiful,' he whispered, and pressed his lips to her neck. He felt her sigh in content as he moved his lips down to her collarbone, but then she stood up, forcing his lips off her skin. She swung her legs over the edge of the bath and slid into the soapy water, turning the taps off and her body becoming hidden under all the bubbles. He stayed knelt down and put his hands in the water, letting one of them trail up and down her leg and then slightly further across. Her eyes drifted closed as his other hand moved along her hip and up to her breasts.

'Why aren't you in the water yet?' she whispered.

He obeyed the request, quickly discarding his underwear and climbing into the bath with her. She shifted so there was enough room for both of them, although he was still slightly on top of her – not that either were complaining. Finally, his lips met hers, and he savoured her taste as she let his hands roam her body. Every time they were together like this, lying side by side, often in silence... he honestly didn't know how he had survived so long without her.

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The moment Arthur left the him at the entrance of the lobby, Merlin whipped out his phone and scrolled through his contacts, stopping on the number he wanted and pressed the green call button. He held the phone to his ear and only had to wait for four rings before someone picked up.

'Hello?' said a soft voice at the other end of the line.

Merlin couldn't help it; he smiled as he heard the voice. 'Good evening,' he said down the phone with a grin.

'Merlin.' The voice sounded almost giddy with happiness. 'I've missed you.'

'And I you. Are you still in the same flat?'

'I am. Would you like to come round for a bit?'

'I'll be there in five minutes. I love you.'

'I love you too.' The line went dead, and Merlin grinned at again at the mental image of _her, _running around her tiny flat in an attempt to make it spotless before he arrived.

He hurried back into the lobby and went over to Morgana, who was sat on the sofa next to Leon, checking her Blackberry. She looked up when Merlin approached and smirked. 'Going out?' she asked innocently as he picked up his hoodie and pulled it on over his head.

Merlin tried to keep his expression deadpan, acutely aware of the others who were close by. Morgana was the only person who knew about _her, _since she had walked in on the two of them towards the end of filming the last film they had done, and Merlin had made her promise that she wouldn't tell anyone, especially Arthur. Morgana had sworn to take the secret to the grave but still grabbed every opportunity to tease him.

'I might be,' said Merlin quietly. 'But-'

Morgana smiled at him. 'Go, Merlin,' she said quietly. 'You deserve it. Say hello from me, won't you?'

'Will do.' He gave her a quick hug before bounding out of the lobby and then out of the hotel. He half-walked, half-ran the familiar route to her flat and within two minutes was knocking on her door. He counted eight seconds before the door was opened and she was standing before him, wearing a blue dress and a smile that could stop the world.

'Hello, Merlin,' she whispered.

He felt dizzy with happiness. 'Hello, Freya.'

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Later, once the water had grown cold, both Arthur and Guinevere were curled up in her bed, the sheets wrapped tight around their naked bodies. Her head was resting on his chest as he stroked her hair, and music was playing quietly in the background. Suddenly, he remembered why he had come to her room in the first place.

'Merlin knows about us.'

There was silence as Gwen took the words in, but then she sat up suddenly and looked down at him. 'What?'

'He knows,' he repeated.

'But – how? When?'

'This morning. When we overslept. He must have seen you leaving my room...'

She groaned and fell back against his chest. 'We should have known this would have happened eventually, I suppose,' she murmured absently, looking up at him.

He grinned. 'Yeah. We can't stay hidden forever, of course.'

'Of course. We've got to tell everyone eventually.'

There was silence for a minute as Arthur sensed a strange change of atmosphere. He looked down at Gwen, but her eyes were firmly avoiding his. 'What's wrong?' he asked, frowning.

She fiddled with a strand of hair. 'Nothing.'

'Guinevere, you're lying to me.' He sat up and took her with him, so his back was resting on the headboard and she was sat on his lap. 'Come on, isn't this how this couple thing works? We tell each other stuff, we don't hide things from each other...' he gently lifted her chin with his finger and forced her to look at him. 'Tell me what's wrong.'

She looked down. 'It's nothing.'

'You're still not telling the truth.' He gently pressed his lips against her neck in an attempt to convince her. 'Tell me,' he whispered pleadingly.

'You love me,' she blurted out suddenly.

That took him by surprise. 'Of course.'

'And I love you.'

'Well, I'd like to think so.'

'And that's brilliant. I couldn't ask for anything more. I've never been happier – and that really is the truth.'

'So... what's the problem?'

She sighed. 'It's not enough to just _love, _Arthur! That isn't how a relationship works! That's how a hidden affair works!'

'It is?'

'Yes.' She paused. 'I don't know anything about you – what you were like as a child, your family, dreams, what you're scared of...' her voice trailed off, and Arthur was hit by the sudden realisation that she was right. Yes, they were in love, and yes, that had been enough up until now, but if they were going to stay together for a lot longer (something he was seriously beginning to consider) then they really should learn things about each other.

'All right.' He nodded, and stuck out his hand. 'Hello. I'm Arthur Pendragon. I'm an actor and have been since the age of five. In the past I've also done modelling for Burberry, but found it incredibly boring as there's a lot of standing still and I'm a rather active person. Speaking of which, I have a gym in my flat in London – a flat which my father bought for me when I was just sixteen. I never went to university but have always had a love of Art. I used to sleep around a lot, went a bit over the top with drinking too much and had some truly disgusting friends who were a bad influence on me. I have a rather annoying adopted sister called Morgana, who for some reason is adored by the whole world, and my mother died when I was five days old.'

Gwen blinked and chuckled before shaking his hand. 'Nice to meet you, Arthur. My name is Guinevere Leodgrace. I'm now a costume designer for Morgana Pendragon's role in the new Camelot film, and I studied fine art and textiles at the London College. Before I made costumes full-time I was a waitress and a barmaid at over ten different restaurants and pubs in London over my three years of college to help pay the rent on the flat, which I later bought and still live in now. I've never been one for sleeping around, nor drinking loads frequently, although my younger brother Elyan would often come home at three in the morning stinking of alcohol in his later teenage years. He's the only sibling I have and my own mother died when I was nine and a half on May the sixth.'

'May the sixth?'

She nodded.

'That's – that's the day my mother died, too.'

There was silence for a moment. 'Wow,' said Gwen finally. 'What a horrible coincidence.'

'Quite.'

There was more silence for a moment before Gwen spoke again. 'Okay, so you had disgusting friends who were a bad influence on you.'

'Correct.'

'So you've obviously been drunk out of your mind, I've seen the pictures...'

'On many occasions.'

'Ever done drugs?'

'Nope. Quite proud of that one, actually.'

'Smoked?'

He looked down.

'Arthur!' she exclaimed. 'You smoked? That's disgusting!'

'I know, I know. But all my friends did, and so I just... joined in, I suppose.'

'But you stopped years ago, right?'

'Er...'

'Oh, don't tell me you still smoke secretly.' She began to climb off his lap, but his hands snaked around her waist and he held her down.

'No!' he said hastily. 'No, not any more. But up until recently... yes, I was smoking. A lot.'

'A lot?'

'It'd depend on the kind of day I was having. If I was stressed, or angry, or upset, I could easily smoke two or three packs a day.'

'Arthur Pendragon, that is absolutely revolting.'

'It is. I know it is, and it's not something I'm proud of, believe me.'

'But you've stopped for good?'

'Yes.' He shuddered. 'I'm never going back, either. Never.'

'Why did you stop?'

'Because of this film.' He grinned. 'This is the first role I've been given where there have been a lot of topless scenes, not to mention the sword fighting, and I simply wasn't fit enough. Not only that, but I'm growing up – I had to focus on my career, screw my head on straight, and actually starting to build a life for myself and start to think about the future. The last cigarette I had was the day before I met you.'

He smiled at the memory and bent down to kiss her; during the kiss they easily slid from a sitting position to lying down. Arthur moved his lips down to her neck and whispered into the skin, 'I love you,' over and over as his hands began to trace the rest of her body...

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It was at times like this that Merlin wondered why anyone bothered with wars, with fighting, with destruction, with anything. When he was lying with Freya in his arms, her breathing soft against his chest, he knew that nothing else in the world mattered except that they were together.

They'd met two weeks before the filming of the previous Camelot film had begun. It was customary that Arthur and his father (and Merlin, as Arthur's assistant, had to be there, too) as well as the main cast (Gwaine, Percival, Leon and Morgana) would go round every department before shooting to get a glimpse of every aspect, and they always ended with an afternoon of watching the orchestra record the soundtrack. There was a large glass wall that had separated them from the actual orchestra, but he had still seen her. She had been wearing the same blue dress that she was wearing tonight, the front of her hair pulled away from her face as she played with the rest of the violins, and he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. Just as they were leaving she had caught his eye and they had stared at each other before he had been ushered out with Arthur and Uther.

Later in the evening, when the studio was shutting for the night, he'd returned and waited by the door for her to appear, and she had as he'd known she would. They'd grabbed a pizza together and had eaten it at her flat. He'd only intended to stay for an hour or two, but then he'd realised he never wanted to leave. They'd stayed up talking until four in the morning before he had grudgingly left to return to his hotel, but not before they'd exchanged numbers. Their first kiss had been the next night, when he'd returned to be with her once more, and they'd been together ever since. Their relationship was pure and beautiful, and it was for that reason that they hadn't gone public – they were keeping it all for themselves. Now, nearly two years later, they were yet to have an argument and Merlin knew what he wanted to do.

'Freya?'

She looked up and smiled lazily. 'Yes?'

'I have a secret I need to share with you. It's about Camelot.'

Freya pushed herself up so their faces were level. 'What is it?'

'You have to promise to tell no one. Not even Arthur knows. I overheard Uther talking about it yesterday.'

'I promise.'

He looked down at her. 'We're selling the studios here in Wales.'

'What?'

'We're moving to a bigger one on the outskirts in London, it's been confirmed. So are the recording studios.'

'Oh, my god.' She slumped back down onto his chest. 'How am I going to carry on working for Camelot? I can't keep going to studios in London, it's too expensive. I'll have nowhere to live.'

'Well, this is something I've been wanting to talk to you about.' He took a breath. 'I have a flat in London, you know that, for when I have to be there for Arthur. Move in with me, Freya. Come and live with me.'

She looked up at him. 'Live with you?' she whispered, eyes wide.

'Yeah. I've been thinking, you know, about us, and I reckon we've got to go public at some point. Why not move in with me? You'll keep your job at Camelot, and I promise I'm not a bad roommate – I do my own washing up and everything. I-'

She cut him off by kissing him. 'Yes,' she whispered. 'Yes, we'll live together. Yes, we'll tell everyone.'

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'Look what I've got!' Gwaine cried, running into the restaurant at breakfast the next morning. In his hand was a small red cardboard box. A collective gasp went round the table and Merlin leapt up from his seat, leaping across the table and snatching the box from his friend's hands. At once Gwaine tried to get it back, but Merlin, despite being rather tired from not returning to the hotel until four half-three this morning, had run round to the other side of the table, all the while trying to open the box. Leon appeared out of nowhere and held out his hand. 'Give it,' he said firmly. Merlin paused, and Gwaine glared at both of them.

'Why should I?' said Merlin stubbornly.

'Because I'm the tallest,' said Leon as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 'Now hand it over before I sit on you.'

Grudgingly, Merlin handed the box over the table to a rather triumphant Leon, who opened the box in one fluid motion as Morgana laughed.

'Er – what's going on?' asked Gwen confusedly, as everyone stared in awe at the video camera Leon now held in his hands.

Merlin turned to look at her almost as if he had forgotten she was there. 'This marks the beginning of the video diaries,' he said in an excited voice, and everything clicked into place for Gwen. Of _course – _on every DVD of a Camelot Film Company film there were the cast video diaries, showing what it was like backstage and their lives during filming. It was filmed by the cast themselves and in the build-up to the release of the actual film short clips of the video diaries would be uploaded to YouTube to add to the hype.

Gwaine had whipped out his phone and took a picture of Leon holding up the video camera with a large grin, pointing to it with his finger. Percival shook his head. 'You're not seriously going to Tweet that, are you?' he asked sceptically.

'Of course I am!' Gwaine exclaimed, tapping away on his Blackberry. 'I bet you that by the end of the day this picture will have been re-tweeted over ten thousand times.'

'All right.' Percival stuck out his hand. 'A tenner to say it won't be.'

The pair of them shook hands just as Gwaine pressed the enter button.

Leon shook his head at them before flipping open the screen of the camera and switching it on, pressing the small red circle on the side to make it start recording.

'Hello, Camelot fans!' he boomed in an X Factor voice-over style voice. 'Welcome to the cast video diaries! I can never understand why you lot are interested in what we get up to in real life, because look at us now...' he pointed the camera at everyone sat around the table. 'Oh, look, it's Morgana LeFay!' he said in a fake surprised voice. 'How are you on this fine morning, Morgana?'

Morgana turned on the charm for the camera and grinned up at Leon. 'I'm very well, thank you,' she said with a smile. 'How are you, Leon?'

'I'm very well indeed, thank you for asking,' Leon replied with a grin. 'So, tell the fans here who you're eating breakfast with this morning?'

'I'm eating with Percival King...' Percival gave a wave to the camera. '...Gwaine Noble...' Gwaine gave a flirtatious wink. '...my best friend Gwen...' Gwen waved a little nervously, '...and of course the king of kings, Mr Arthur Pendragon.' Arthur rolled his eyes at the camera but also gave a small grin.

'Excellent!' Leon boomed, still in his presenter voice. 'And... and I'm running out of questions already. What – what are you eating for your breakfast, Morgana?'

Morgana picked up her plate. 'I'm eating a croissant. Very French, don't you think?'

'Oh very... _trés bien !' _

Morgana laughed. 'You see, that's why French isn't on Leon's resumé.'

'Hey! My French is–'

'Come on, you were awful when we were filming in Pierrefonds! You even made _me _sound good,' Percival scoffed from across the table.

'All right, that's enough insulting me now,' said Leon grumpily, and switched the camera off. 'I can now declare the video diaries have begun!'

Everyone cheered, Gwaine being the loudest as he held up his phone; he was on Twitter, having published the picture of Leon with the camera and a hashtag underneath: _#videodiaries_. 'Look!' he said delightedly. 'It's already been re-tweeted eight hundred and sixty-two times, and it's only been three minutes maximum...'

Percival ignored him and returned to his porridge with a grumpy expression.

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For the rest of the day the video camera was used between takes, on their lunch breaks, and sometimes whilst others were filming. Gwen found herself featured on quite a few shots, as did Merlin, although Merlin was rather used to it by now – some of the Camelot fans, he told Gwen triumphantly, actually knew him by name now because of the number of video diaries he'd featured in.

Over the next couple of weeks, Arthur and Gwen found themselves becoming a little more careless about hiding their relationship. It wasn't deliberate, and they definitely weren't trying to let everyone find out one by one, but they were so wrapped up together that it was often easy to forget that the rest of the world was still going on around them.

On one such occasion, it was a Friday night and although they would usually be paying poker, Gwaine had declared that he could do with a night out and, as they had the day off tomorrow, everyone else had agreed. Gwen had gone to the trouble of straightening her hair so it fell more neatly down her back, and wore a dark red, rather tight dress that stopped just above her knees. This ensemble of course rendered Arthur speechless when he first laid eyes on her, but quickly found his voice and graciously helped her into their car.

They went to a nearby club and within just a couple of hours, Leon and Morgana had disappeared somewhere (Arthur shuddered when he wondered exactly what his friend and his sister were doing in one of the many dark corners of the club) and Merlin had made his excuses and had retired for the night, although there had been something about his explanation of being tired that didn't quite sit right with Arthur. Nevertheless, he had shrugged it off as the opportunity to go over and finally see Guinevere appeared. She was standing by the bar paying for another drink, but before the barman had time to pour the drink into the glass Arthur's hand grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her away into one of the darker corners of the dancefloor.

'I haven't been able to take my eyes off you once this evening,' he whispered into her ear once they were further away from everyone else, and gently leant down to kiss her, his arms wrapping around her waist. 'That dress is, however, a little too long, I think. Does it go any shorter?' he tugged at the hemline and made it lift slightly higher up her legs, so that now it only covered half of her thigh.

She tried to pull away, laughing. 'Arthur, have you been drinking? People will see.'

He shrugged. 'We've all had a bit to drink, including you. Besides, this corner is very dark, Guinevere. I can barely see you myself. In fact, I think I'm going to have to use my hands...' He kissed her again and wrapped his arms back round her waist, linking them together at the bottom of her spine. This time she didn't protest and instead wrapped her own arms round the back of his neck, pulling their bodies closer together for a brief moment before pulling back again and telling him that they should probably just go back to the hotel now if he wanted to be with her, because it was far too risky here, no matter how dark the corner of the club was.

That brief moment when she had pulled their bodies closer together, however, was all it took for the nearby photographer to get the picture he wanted.

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Two days later, Morgana and Gwen were sat in Morgana's dressing room whilst Morgana waited for her hair to set in its rollers. They were filming a banquet scene today, which meant Morgana got to dress in all her finery – there would be no torn and burnt robes today. The rest of the hair and make-up team had left the room (something about a catastrophe with Vivian) and so Gwen and Morgana sat peacefully together side by side, Gwen sketching some new ideas for dresses and Morgana reading a gossip magazine.

'Ooh, this is rather interesting,' said Morgana suddenly, and Gwen looked up. 'Arthur's been spotted with a girl.'

Gwen felt her stomach drop. Trying not to sound too panicked, she said, 'Who?'

'It doesn't say, but there's a picture, look...'

She passed the magazine over, and Gwen nearly groaned when she saw the image of her and Arthur kissing in the not-so-dark corner of that club from two nights ago, the dress halfway up her thigh with his hands at the bottom of her back and hers wrapped around his neck. The camera had been taken from such an angle that whilst it was clearly Arthur, Gwen's face was hidden in shadow and could not be made out. That, she prayed, would stop Morgana from realising that it was her in the picture.

Unfortunately for her, however, Morgana suddenly snatched the magazine back and held it closer to her face to examine the picture closer. 'Hang on...' she said slowly. 'That looks a hell of a lot like your dress, Gwen.' She stared up at her friend.

Gwen tried not to go red. 'No, mine was definitely longer than that,' was all she managed to get out.

'And the hair... you straightened your hair that night...' realisation dawned on her.

'Gwen?'

Gwen couldn't bring herself to look Morgana in the eye. 'Yes?' she said, keeping her head down.

'Pass me my phone, will you? It's just to your left.'

Gwen handed her the phone, still not looking at her. She waited and listened as Morgana tapped in a number; there was silence for a few seconds and then Morgana said sweetly into the phone, 'Hello, Arthur.'

Gwen leant back against her chair and closed her eyes, dreading what was coming next. They had agreed to keep it a secret for just a while longer, just while they were still getting used to being together. Only Merlin knew, and even he didn't ever question them about it, just pulled a disgusted face when he heard either of them were "going to bed for the night" and cast them several knowing smiles every now and then. That plan, of course, had now gone completely out of the window.

She tried to listen to Arthur's response, but couldn't make out the words, so had to listen to the conversation one-sided.

'Could you come to my dressing room, please? ... Yes, now... No, I'll explain when you get here... Yes, it really is important... Because I say so. You'll find out soon enough, if you haven't already.' There was a long pause, and then the line went dead. 'He'll be here in just a moment.'

They sat in tense silence for a hundred and ninety-two seconds before there was a knock on the door; Morgana got up and went over to let Arthur in. 'Nice hair,' he commented, looking at the rollers, but Morgana simply glared at him, pushed him further into the room and locked the door. When her back was turned, Arthur smiled slightly nervously at Gwen, who grimaced back. Arthur's eyes widened when he realised why he had been summoned here.

Once the door had been locked Morgana grabbed the magazine and shoved it in front of her brother's face. 'Look at this,' she spat. 'I suppose you've already seen?'

Arthur glanced at the magazine. 'Yes. I just got back from a meeting with my management about this, actually,' he said calmly. 'None of your business.' His voice was steady, but Gwen saw a hint of panic in his eyes.

'It's plenty of my business,' said Morgana angrily, and looked between Gwen and Arthur. 'Well? Which one of you is just going to admit it? _What the hell is going on?_ Why on earth is there a picture of the two of you kissing?'

'Um.' Gwen stood up slowly. 'We're, um, kind of together.'

Morgana stared at her and then laughed. 'Sorry, what? By together, I assume you mean sleeping with each other, right?'

'Not exactly, no,' said Arthur, choosing his words carefully. 'We're in love, Morgana. I love her.'

For a full ten seconds Morgana stared at her brother. 'No,' she said finally. 'If you were in love, I would have seen something, Gwen would have told me -'

But then Gwen met her eye, and Morgana's eyes widened. She stared wildly between the two of them. 'My best friend and my _brother?' _she exclaimed. 'This is – this is unbelievable!'

'Morgana, I wanted to tell you, I really did!' said Gwen desperately. 'But we wanted to keep it between ourselves for just a while longer before we told everyone, and – well, this is not how I planned for you to find out,' she finished in a small voice.

Morgana narrowed her eyes, and then turned to Arthur. 'If you ever hurt her in any way – if I find out you've upset her, or made her angry, you'll have me to answer to. Understand?'

Arthur rolled his eyes. 'Don't worry, I've had the same threatening speech from Merlin, too.'

'_Merlin knew about you before I did?' _

'Oops.'

'Right, that's it.' Morgana all but shoved Arthur out of the dressing room and then turned back to Gwen.

'Guinevere Leodgrace, you've got some explaining to do.'

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The next morning at breakfast, once Morgana had been told everything (well, not quite everything – there were some things that Gwen would never share about her relationship with Arthur), Merlin cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

'Okay, I know you all like to think of me as something of a younger brother to you all -'

'An annoying one, at that,' Arthur interjected, which got a few chuckles.

Merlin continued as if there had been no interruption. 'But the truth is I'm actually more mature than all of you put together.' He paused. 'I have a girlfriend.'

There was a moment's silence and then Arthur burst out laughing.

'Arthur, stop it!' Morgana scolded, smacking him on the arm.

'But – it's _Merlin!'_

'Shut up, Arthur,' Merlin snapped. 'I wanted to tell you all because – well, we've been together for two years now, and we figured it was about time to-'

'_Two years?' _exclaimed Leon. 'Where have you been hiding her?'

Merlin shrugged. 'She lives about five minutes away from here. Anyway, we're moving in together, so I just thought I should warn you all in case you come round to mine and there's a girl in my bed.' And with that he returned to his porridge.

Everyone was staring at him except Morgana, who was smiling knowingly into her own breakfast.

'You're moving in together?' Gwen asked. 'You must be pretty serious...'

'Yeah, you could say that,' said Merlin with a smile.

'So when do we get to meet this mystery woman of yours, then?' asked Gwaine with a roughish grin.

'Well, I was thinking tonight. She can have dinner with all of us, and then we're going out – just the two of us!' he added quickly when several of them looked at each other. 'Is that all right with everyone?' he looked around the table slightly apprehensively.

'Fine by me,' said Morgana, still beaming. Everyone else nodded in agreement, more slightly bemused at the idea of Merlin Emrys having a _girlfriend._

The day passed painfully slowly, with everyone desperate to meet this mystery girl of Merlin's. Finally, they finished shooting and raced back to the hotel and took their seats at the restaurant, where they had arranged to meet Merlin's girlfriend. Merlin finally walked in just as the food was arriving, hand in hand with a girl just slightly shorter than him.

Arthur's first thought was that he had seen her somewhere before. She had black curly hair that ended just past her shoulders and was a dark contrast to her pale skin – almost as pale as Merlin's, in fact. She had warm brown eyes that were wide (with fear?) and wore a green dress with tights and boots. In fact, he was certain he had seen her somewhere before... he just couldn't remember where.

'Everyone,' Merlin said to the table at large, 'this is Freya.'

Everyone greeted her warmly, introducing themselves one by one, and Arthur had to admit that he was impressed by the way she didn't bat an eyelid at the number of famous people she was sat with. By the end of the meal Arthur had found out that she was part of the orchestra that recorded the soundtrack for all the Camelot films – _that _was where he knew her from, on one of their company tour things they did before filming.

But nobody noticed the way Gwaine's eyes lingered on Freya's hesitant smile for a moment longer than was necessary for two people who had just met.

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Gwaine had first set eyes on Freya when he twenty-one. He had been participating on his first ever tour of Camelot before filming began, with a young, naive Arthur and before Merlin had even begun working for Camelot, and as usual they had ended with listening to the orchestra. He had been extremely bored (orchestral music had never been something that had interested him) but then he had looked over at the violins and had seen _her, _just eighteen years old and already part of one of the most famous orchestras in the country. He'd never introduced himself and had preferred to admire her from a distance, not wanting to take any chances.

Every year they had watched the orchestra play, he had felt himself fall for her a little more as she grew from an innocent young girl to an independent young woman. And then had come the year that Merlin had joined the tour. He'd seen the way the boy had looked at the girl, _his _girl, and the way the girl had looked back. He'd tried to push the event to the back of his mind as he continued to go out, get mindlessly drunk and sleep with countless women, but she had always been there. And now here she was, _Freya_, completely in love with his best friend and not knowing the effect she had had on him for all these years.

He'd missed his chance, and now it was too late.

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Arthur shut the door quietly and turned to look at Gwen. It was the first time they'd been able to be alone together all day, and the moment the door was shut his lips were on hers, greedily searching for her taste, her scent... she responded just as eagerly, and her hands were _everywhere, _in his hair, under his shirt, fumbling with his belt –

There was a knock at the door and they froze for a moment before Arthur came to his senses and bolted into the ensuite, shutting the door as quietly as he could whilst Gwen tried to catch her breath before opening the door.

'Gwaine, hi,' she said, trying to keep her voice steady. 'What are doing here? It's quarter to twelve.'

He shrugged. 'I need to take a shower, but I'm out of shower gel. Have you got any? Your room's closest to mine, and I can't be arsed to ring for room service.'

'Um.' She was about to say yes, and then remembered who was currently hidden in her bathroom. 'No. No, I ran out this morning.'

He narrowed his eyes. 'You sure?'

'Uh-huh.' She nodded vigorously.

'Okay. Goodnight, Princess.' Then he turned and called towards the bathroom door, 'Goodnight, Arthur,' before winking at Gwen and striding off back down the corridor. She stared after him for a moment and then jumped as Arthur came out of the bathroom and stared down at her.

'What did he just say?'

Gwen shook her head and ran out into the corridor. 'Gwaine!' she called out. Gwaine stopped and turned to look at her. 'How did you-'

'We saw you at the club,' he replied easily. 'You two are the worst at keeping things hidden, believe me. Percival and Leon have more or less figured it out, too. It's all right – you can stop pretending now.' He grinned at her shocked expression and then carried walking down the corridor and out of sight.

Once he was gone, Gwen went back into the room and shut the door, staring at Arthur. 'Why haven't they said anything before now?' she said in a hushed voice.

Arthur shook his head slowly. 'I have no idea. But do you realise what this means? There'll be no more pretending! When we're all together, we won't have to act like we're just friends any more: we'll be in a proper relationship.' He closed the gap between them and kissed her hard against her mouth, his fingers weaving into her hair and hers returning to his belt as they stumbled across to the bed.

Later, when she was lying in Arthur's arms, Gwen suddenly realised what an odd day it had been. It marked the end of secret-keeping: Merlin had a girlfriend who he was moving in with (something everyone was still amused by) and finally everyone knew about her relationship with Arthur.

She'd never been happier.

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**Oops.**

**It appears I've created a bit of a debate about the whole is-this-story-sexist thing. To everyone who's joined in: I appreciate every one of your opinions – really, I do! – but can I just make it absolutely clear that I am not sexist and never intended for any aspect of this story to appear sexist: I am completely against sexism and feel very strongly about the subject, which is why I'm quite amused at these reviews I'm getting! I'm so, so sorry if I offended anyone with any of my writing – that was never my intention, I was just putting in opinions and phrases that I thought the characters might say or think. I had never intended sexism to become such a main focus on this story.**

**Um... yeah. On a slightly more cheerful note, I don't think I've ever had so many reviews for a single chapter, so thank you to every single one of you who left a comment/opinion!**

**So, Merlin and Freya, huh? I've been wanting to bring her into the story right from the very beginning, because really, Merlin deserves a bit of romance, right? Although we all know what happens to them in the BBC Merlin... :'( Oh, and the whole Gwaine-and-Freya thing – I put that in to add an extra dimension to Gwaine's character, and would really appreciate it if you would let me know what you thought of it.**

**Oh, and Cast Video Diaries! Yes, I got the idea from the actual Merlin cast – if you haven't seen them already, it's filmed by Bradley, Colin, Angel and a few other people and is very funny. Look it up!**

**Also, the thing I mentioned about Arthur having always loved Art – I got this idea from Bradley James himself: on something on YouTube one of the Merlin cast members (it was either Katie or Angel, I can't remember) mentioned that Bradley had a hidden talent for drawing, so I thought I'd include this in here.**

**And I can't believe I forgot to mention it in my last A.N: Merlin is finished forever! Noo! I cried so much in the last episode... if you haven't seen it yet, you're in for a treat, although I'd advise tissues ;)**

**Ooh, and fifty points if anyone managed to spot the two mini-scenes I stole from the actual show... they're not mine, just thought I'd put that out there!**

**Just one more thing before I leave you to review (hint hint) – if any of you live in the UK, then you might have been watching a drama series on BBC 2 at the moment called Dancing On The Edge. I knew it had Angel Coulby in, which is why I began watching it in the first place, but I was watching the first episode last week and Anthony Head, aka Uther, suddenly appeared and I was all "oh my god! It's Gwen and Uther actually getting on!" my family weren't as enthusiastic, but hey... oh, and if any of you have seen the film A Princess For Christmas, starring Katie McGrath, the actor who plays the butler Paisley is also in it, as well as Janet Montgomery, aka Princess Mithian! I'm just waiting for the rest of the Merlin cast to turn up... wouldn't that be wonderful? Anyway, I highly recommend it to anyone so go and watch it!**

**Once again, thank you to all you beautiful reviewers... we've reached 150 reviews for just eight chapters, so can I be really ambitious and say we raise it to 200 by the time this story's finished? There are four or five chapters left, so it's possible... ish. I have something like 86 people following this story, so in theory I should get at least 86 reviews for this chapter... just saying. For now, let's just try and get to 151 ;)**

**Thanks once again and I'll try and update as soon as I can!**

**xxxxxxxxx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

**Full author's note will be at the end, but a quick warning: this chapter is extremely fluffy and may cause extreme vomiting for some readers.**

**So, onwards!**

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It was official; everyone knew. When they went downstairs to breakfast the next morning, they found that their group had been put into a little side-room, away from the rest of the cast and crew. Everyone looked up when they entered together and grinned when they saw how close they were standing to each other. There was no need for secrecy amongst their friends any more. Arthur sat with Guinevere; Merlin sat with Freya; Leon sat with Morgana.

There was only one thing that was bothering Gwen. Whenever they went out, whether they were in a club or just in a restaurant, they couldn't be together. Even when they were in the studios, there was always the risk of someone else in the cast or crew seeing them. They were doing their best to avoid being too close to each other, and it was getting rather frustrating for the both of them. Everyone else did help, to be fair – when they were in public the others would arrange themselves strategically so that they could at least stand or sit next to each other.

Camelot had now started to film on location around Britain, sometimes travelling all the way up to Scotland for a day or sometimes a week to use a certain set of woods or rocky mountainside. The sheer amount of travelling was beginning to wear them all out and the weather began to turn foul, meaning a lot of filming had to be delayed. Thanks to most of the locations being in full view of the public, this meant plenty of screaming fans were waiting for them at the borders of the locations, so at the end of long days the actors still had to smile and pose for photographs.

Towards the end of March, the weather was still not clearing up. By this time they were back in the studios, and on Tuesday everyone walked in to the largest set they had seen so far. Camelot had built the woods. Fake grass, fake trees, fake flowers – even real birds had been put in the enclosed space and wind machines from above were making the leaves rustle. It had been lit to make it look like early evening, the sun beginning to set and the sky beginning to darken. It was truly remarkable.

Morgana and Leon were the only ones in this scene, but all the other actors stayed to watch the scene be filmed- partly to see how the set looked on camera, but mainly to watch how Morgana and Leon would act a scene that was just the two of them in front of Uther, who had always been highly protective of his ward and still didn't know about her relationship. Morgana was dressed in a light blue dress that complemented her eyes and figure, and Leon was in a simple white shirt and brown trousers. The scene began, and Arthur was watching through the cameras for part of his training to one day own Camelot. He noticed everything – the lighting, the angles, the background colours... and he realised what a perfect real-life scene it would be for a picnic.

He smiled, a plan beginning to hatch in his mind.

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Once Aggravaine called "cut" for the final time on the final scene they were shooting, Arthur ran onto the set to speak to Morgana once Leon had walked off to talk to Gwaine and Percival.

'Listen,' he said in a low voice, 'I need to ask you a massive favour.'

Morgana raised an eyebrow. 'A favour?'

'Yeah. I -'

'What's going on?' asked Merlin, bounding over to join them on set.

Arthur sighed. 'Well, I might as well use the both of you, I suppose. Look, I want to organise a picnic with Gwen, but I'm going to need your help.'

'A picnic?' said Merlin. 'The press'll see you!'

'Not if we have it inside,' said Arthur smugly, and both Morgana's and Merlin's eyes widened when they realised what he meant.

'You want to have a picnic with Gwen in the studios, where anyone could walk in and see you?' said Morgana sceptically.

'No one's here at night,' said Arthur.

'A midnight picnic?' Merlin exclaimed as quietly as he could.

'Keep your voice down!' Arthur hissed, looking round, but thankfully no one off the set had overheard. 'Yes, a midnight picnic, but I don't think I can do it on my own.' He turned to Morgana. 'What do girls find romantic?' he asked.

'Flowers,' said Morgana at once.

'Yes, because we haven't got enough of those around here on this set,' said Arthur sarcastically.

'Well, you're having a picnic, aren't you?' said Morgana in a much more business-like tone, 'So you'll need a blanket, a basket, wine, chocolates, strawberries...'

Arthur turned to Merlin. 'You'll need to buy all these things for me, Merlin.'

'Why me?'

'Well, I can hardly walk into the Co-Op without anyone noticing me, can I?'

'Fine,' grumbled Merlin. 'You're paying me back, though.'

'Of course. I'll do it tonight – Merlin, I'll just stay here, so bring the food here for eleven and then bring Guinevere her for midnight, would you?'

'Of course,' said Merlin sarcastically, 'It's not like I had plans of my own, or anything...'

Arthur ignored him. 'Excellent. Morgana, thank you... Merlin, it's your job, so... yeah.'

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Everything was set. Merlin had dropped off the wide selection of food an hour ago, and Morgana had helped him to arrange the picnic scene in the woods set once the studio had been left by everyone else (Arthur had remembered to check that his father wasn't working late like he often did). All there was to do now was to wait for Merlin to appear with Guinevere. While he waited, he looked down at one of the empty silver plates and frowned. He'd completely forgotten to check his appearance earlier– what if there was a mark on his face?

He picked up the plate and stared at his reflection, smoothing his hair into place. Behind him, someone cleared their throat and Arthur span round, dropping the plate in the process, to see Merlin and Guinevere standing in front of him.

'Guinevere!' he said automatically, and then took in her appearance. She was wearing a floaty skirt and had flowers in her hair. It was as if she had matched her outfit to the woods. 'You look...' but words couldn't describe her beauty.

'I think he's trying to say you look... nice?' Merlin offered with a grin.

'Thank you, Merlin, that will be all,' Arthur snapped, and Gwen chuckled.

'Have fun!' Merlin called over his shoulder as he left. Once he was gone, Arthur held Guinevere's hand to help her through the net that let her enter the woods that was to keep the butterflies enclosed.

'This is incredible,' said Gwen, looking around in wonder. Arthur smiled, and gestured to the picnic rug.

'Shall we?' he said, and they sat down on either side of the food. Gwen went to hand him one of the plates, but he stopped her.

'You are not here as a worker for Camelot,' he said sternly, and she smiled, settling down on the blanket.

'It feels different, doesn't it?' she said quietly. 'Being in a place that feels so far away from Camelot.'

Arthur shrugged, beginning to put food on both their plates. 'I love Camelot more than I can say... but when I'm there, sometimes I... feel I can hardly _breathe, _everyone expects so much of me.'

Gwen stared at him and smiled. He had never said these things to anyone before.

'But being here with you,' he said, 'I can be myself.'

Gwen grinned at him. 'I like that,' she said. 'You being yourself...'

Arthur helped himself to more food. 'Sometimes I dream of leaving Camelot,' he said quietly.

'Really?' asked Gwen, stunned. 'Where would you go?'

Arthur shrugged again. 'I don't know,' he confessed. 'Somewhere where nobody knew who I was; I'd get some land, and become a farmer...'

Gwen burst out laughing. 'I can hardly see you toiling away at the fields all day,' she said.

'Obviously I'd take Merlin with me, he can do all the hard work,' said Arthur, completely monotone, and Gwen laughed again.

'I'm sure he'd love that,' she said through her laughter, and he handed her a plate of food. 'Thank you.'

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'I'm glad you persuaded me to come with you,' said Uther, as he and Aggravaine strode into the studios. 'I've been meaning to look over that scene for weeks.'

Aggravaine smiled. 'Why don't we go through the sets?' he suggested. 'Just to make sure there's no one still loitering around.'

'Good idea,' said Uther, and they turned to the left to take the detour.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Meanwhile, Gwen and Arthur had finished their food and had put the rubbish back in the hamper. Arthur was lying on his back, and Gwen was on her side, facing him. 'We should start heading back to the hotel soon,' she said quietly, fiddling with the detail on her skirt.

Arthur glanced at her. 'We could stay a while longer,' he said just as quietly. 'I don't know when we'll have the chance to do this again.'

'Perhaps when you become a farmer, we could see each other more often,' she smirked, and he laughed before sobering quickly.

'That was just a dream,' he said. 'I fear... I will never leave Camelot...' he looked over her shoulder. 'Stay still,' he murmured.

'Has someone seen us?' she whispered, not moving. Arthur propped himself up on one shoulder, then suddenly snatched over her shoulder and brought back a butterfly on his finger. 'A butterfly,' he said proudly before it flew off and laid back on the blankets and cushions again.

Gwen relaxed and smiled, shifting so their bodies were closer. They kissed, perfectly, beautifully, her hand drifting over onto his chest...

'Arthur!'

They leapt apart and looked up to see Uther standing on the edge of the set, Aggravaine standing just behind him.

'Father,' said Arthur nervously. He could feel Guinevere's shock radiating off her next to him.

'My office,' said Uther, his voice thunderous. 'Ten minutes. Clear this up and then both of you go straight there, do you understand?'

Arthur was too worried to speak, so nodded instead. Uther strode off, Aggravaine in his wake, and Gwen stared at Arthur.

'Oh, my god,' she said, and covered her mouth. 'Oh, my god...'

'Okay,' said Arthur, and began picking up cushions. 'Okay, we'll get this cleared up and then we'll go there, and then he'll let it go and then everything will be fine. Okay?'

'Okay,' whispered Gwen, and between them they cleared up the picnic and then left the set, leaving the lights on for the butterflies. They hurried upstairs and arrived outside Uther's office. Arthur looked across at Gwen and then knocked. Uther called, 'Enter,', and they entered.

'Wait outside,' Uther snapped at Gwen, who left at once, too scared to look him in the eyes. Arthur opened his mouth to protest at the rudeness, but stopped himself. He didn't want to get Guinevere into even more trouble.

Once the door had shut, Uther stared at Arthur and then burst out laughing. Arthur stared back and then laughed uncertainly, not really sure what was going on.

'I thought you'd be furious,' said Arthur nervously. Surely his father wasn't accepting this?

Uther finally stopped laughing, though still chuckled as he spoke. 'I was young once, I am more than familiar with the temptations of behind-the-scenes girls,' he chuckled.

Arthur let out a sigh of relief. 'I'm sorry I kept it from you,' he said honestly. 'I... thought it for the best.'

Uther straightened up. 'No serious harm has been done,' he said easily. 'I can't allow it to continue, obviously...'

Arthur stared at him. 'What are you talking about?'

'You can never see this girl again,' said Uther as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

'You just said that no harm had been done!'

'You've had you fun. Now it must come to an end,' said Uther sternly.

'What does it matter that Guinevere's a costume designer?' protested Arthur, trying to stay calm.

Uther looked at him as if he'd just suggested that Guinevere was a drug dealer. 'The survival of Camelot,' he said evenly, 'Depends on forging an alliance through your marriage.'

'But I can't marry someone who I don't have feelings for!' said Arthur. Surely even his father would understand that.

'Your first duty is to Camelot,' said Uther, his voice starting to rise.

'I care about Camelot!'

'I cannot allow this. I forbid it,' said Uther loudly over his son.

Arthur rolled his eyes. 'You can't forbid my feelings anymore than I can; I can't deny it any longer, I love her!'

Uther stared at him.

'I love Guinevere,' repeated Arthur confidently.

Uther paused and then walked over to open the door, gesturing for Gwen to come in. She did so and went to stand next to Arthur. 'You leave me no choice,' he said calmly. 'I am going to have to fire you from Camelot, Gwen.'

Arthur felt as if someone had just punched him in the stomach. 'You can't do that,' he said.

Uther turned round to look at the two of them again. 'She has three days to leave,' he said, as if this was a fair decision. 'Her return will be followed by a restraining order from these studios.'

'She will have nowhere to go!' exclaimed Arthur, taking hold of Guinevere's hand. 'Her life is with Camelot! She's sub-letting her flat in London, she needs-'

'You have caused this to happen, Arthur,' said Uther sternly, coming close to Arthur's face. 'My decision is final.'

'Please,' said Arthur desperately. 'Do not fire her. I give you my solemn word that I'll never see her again.'

Uther shook his head. 'You've made it clear to me that you cannot control your feelings for this girl.'

'No, I-' he grabbed Uther's arm and then realised his mistake, letting go a moment later.

'This is for your own good,' said Uther. They stared at each other for a long pause and then Uther left his office, throwing Arthur the key to lock up when he was finished. When he was gone, Arthur turned back to face Guinevere, who was staring at him.

'I'm so sorry,' he said, running a hand through his hair. 'This is my fault, I should have known it was too risky, being with you in the middle of the studios...'

'I've just lost my job,' she said in a hollow voice. 'Oh, my god, I'm unemployed, I have nowhere to live-'

'Shh,' said Arthur, wrapping his arms around her. 'I won't let this happen. I promise. Let's just- let's go back to the hotel, go to bed, and I'll make him see sense in the morning. Okay?'

'Okay.'

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Gwen barely slept a wink, and not because Arthur wasn't with her. She'd lost her job. They'd been caught. Her worst nightmare had come true. When she went down to breakfast the next morning, Arthur was just finishing telling everyone else what had happened, and Morgana was nearly shaking with anger.

'He can't do that,' she said, standing up. 'I'm going to talk to him.'

'Morgana...' Arthur stopped her from going any further.

'No, Arthur. We've put up with his crap for long enough. This needs sorting out, and I won't crumble under pressure like you do.' She squeezed Gwen's hand as she breezed past and then left their private section of the restaurant.

The rest of breakfast was spent in silence, and by the time they were told to get into the cars Morgana still hadn't returned. Gwen bit her lip, debating to join everyone else or not, but Merlin pulled her into the car so that she didn't have a choice. The ride to the studios was completely silent, with Gwen willing herself not to have a panic attack. She would have turned to Arthur for support, but to avoid getting Uther even angrier they had travelled in separate cars.

The security pulled them through the waiting cameras and through the door, where Gwen was extremely relieved to see Morgana waiting for them anxiously. 'It's okay,' she told them when they had all huddled round to hear what was going on. 'Gwen can carry on working here.'

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. 'But there is a catch,' Morgana continued nervously. 'Since mine and Arthur's scenes together are all finished now, Uther has forbidden Gwen and Arthur from being in the same room together in the studios if he's not there, too. He accepts that he can't control what you do outside of the studios, but trusts me to tell him if it looks like the two of you are getting too friendly.'

'You can't be serious!' said Arthur after a moment.

Morgana nodded sadly. 'It's the best I can do. But Gwen will get to keep her job, and you can still be together outside of Camelot... providing no one gets any photos.'

Gwen paused. 'Thank you, Morgana,' she said eventually. 'I won't forget this.' She drew her friend into a tight hug before the two of them were called to Morgana's dressing room to get into costume.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

The new regime had been going for three weeks now, and both Gwen and Arthur were finding it extremely difficult to stick to it. It was impossible to stay away from each other, mainly because of practicalities– they were both part of the same friendship group, so they were careful to be only opposite each other when they all sat around the same table at restaurants, and arrived in clubs and back at the hotel at different times.

Even sleeping with each other within the hotel had been made more difficult. Arthur was paranoid that his father had staff spying on his every move (he'd done it before, he told Gwen) and so they only went to each other's rooms in the dead of night, and spent just a few precious hours together. Because of this, they were both exhausted most of the time.

But then in April, Uther went away for three weeks to America to sign some new contracts for the company, and all filming was cancelled in his absence- including Aggravaine, who Arthur had been certain was reporting back to his father. It was perfect timing, for Tuesday was Guinevere's birthday.

They spent Monday night in her room in celebration of Uther still not being back for another two weeks, and Gwen woke up to the feel of Arthur's lips on hers, gently waking her. She opened her eyes and smiled.

'Good morning,' she said sleepily.

'Happy birthday,' he said softly, and kissed her again before disappearing down his side of the bed.

_His side of the bed. _When had they gotten allotted sides of the bed?

He reappeared a moment later with a tray full of food. There was also a card. 'Here you go,' he said, putting it on her lap as she sat up. 'All yours.'

She raised an eyebrow. 'Really? You're not going to steal the toast?'

'Oh, you know me so well,' he winked at her, and snatched a slice of buttered toast off the plate before she could protest.

'What do I do first, eat or open the card?'

'Eat, and then read the card. It's a surprise.'

Gwen ate quickly, eager to see what the surprise was; when she had finished, Arthur put the tray on the floor and watched as she ripped open the envelope and read what was inside. When she had finished, she looked up at him curiously. 'What does it mean, enjoy the day with familiar faces?'

'You'll see,' he said smugly. 'Now, get dressed so that we can go downstairs to meet everyone else.'

'Is there a rush?' she asked as she got out of bed, avoiding the tray on the floor.

'Not if you don't want there to be. Why?'

Guinevere shrugged and smiled, and for a moment Arthur was stunned by her beauty. The sun shone through the curtains onto her bare shoulders and her entire body glowed in the light. She looked radiant. 'I was going to take a shower,' she said, bringing him back to earth. 'Care to join me?'

He grinned. 'Today, my lady, your wish is my command.'

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Once they were both dressed, they headed downstairs where everyone else was waiting for them in the lobby.

'Happy birthday!' they all shouted when they arrived, and Gwen smiled. Everyone was there: Morgana, Leon, Gwaine, Percival, Merlin and even Freya.

'We have presents, but they're at the place already,' Morgana told her, hugging her tightly.

'What place?' Gwen asked curiously, but Morgana just smiled.

'Come on, the cars are already here,' said Merlin, and they all headed outside, once again hit by the flashes of paparazzi. They all piled into one mini-van with blacked out windows, meaning they could sit with whoever they wanted to, and the driver drove off through Cardiff as soon as they were sat down.

'Where are we going?' asked Gwen.

'You'll see,' was the only answer she got from everyone.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

After two and a half hours, the car stopped and they got out at the side of a country lane. 'Where are we?' asked Gwen, more curious than ever.

Arthur grinned and took her hand. 'Somewhere where no one will find us...'

The eight of them walked along the road and then round the corner. Gwen felt her mouth drop open. There were two old-fashioned cars waiting for them, the kind where you had to twist the handle at the front to get them to work and had no roof.

'Oh, my god...'

'Come on,' said Morgana excitedly. 'Who's driving?'

'I'm driving the green one,' said Arthur, Gwaine and Merlin at the same time.

Everyone turned to stare at Merlin. 'You don't even drive!' said Leon, laughing.

Merlin shrugged. 'Can't be too hard. Even Arthur can do it.'

'For that, I'm driving,' said Arthur stubbornly, and got in the driver's seat before anyone could stop him. After a long and threatening discussion, Gwaine was driving the red one, with all his passengers (Morgana, Leon and Percival) fearing for their lives as they got in. Merlin and Freya went with Gwen and Arthur, and the two cars trundled down the road.

'This is amazing,' Gwen shouted over the engine as they whizzed round another bend, and Arthur turned to grin at her.

'I love it,' he shouted back. 'Today, we get to drive ourselves.'

They drove for a good twenty minutes, Arthur seeming to know the route perfectly, and then sharply turned into a side lane. At the end of the lane was a cottage, and they parked the cars outside before leading Gwen, now blindfolded, around the cottage and into the garden.

'Okay, you can take off the blindfold now,' said Arthur, and Gwen obeyed, and then gasped when she saw what was in front of her.

They were in a huge garden lawn with a picnic laid out on the grass, but that wasn't what she was staring at. In front of her stood her father and Elyan.

'Oh, my god!' she screamed, and flung her arms around both of them. When she pulled away, she looked at each of them and then over at her friends. 'But how- when-'

'Oh, it was all Arthur's doing,' beamed Morgana. 'He stole your phone and called Elyan and Tom to tell them what he wanted to do, and rented the house from his friend so that no one would see us...'

'Can we do the talking over the food?' came Gwaine's voice. 'It looks so good, I can almost taste it.'

They all laughed and sat down at the picnic on the grass, toasting the champagne to Gwen before eating every last morsel of food. Tom and Elyan got on brilliantly with everyone else, even if they seemed to be a little awestruck at first at being at a picnic with the majority of the cast of Camelot, but if they were intimidated, they certainly didn't show it. The food itself was delicious, meaning not a single crumb was left untouched, and Gwen felt giddy with happiness that she was not only spending her birthday with her closest friends, but also her family. As they sat there, she realised what was actually happening- Arthur had met her family. Things were certainly changing.

When the sun finally began to set, Freya began to collect up the plates and put everything back in the hamper, and then the picnic blanket was folded up once they were all stood up. Tom and Elyan told her they had to go now, both wishing her happy birthday and promising to speak to her soon, and then were driven away in the car that had turned up. Morgana, Leon, Gwaine, Percival, Merlin and Freya went to walk off to the cars they had come in and Gwen went to follow them, but Arthur pulled her back by the arm.

'Oh no,' he said, smiling. 'We're not leaving.'

Gwen cocked an eyebrow. 'We're not?'

'Definitely not. I didn't just plan to use the garden today...' he span her to face the door of the cottage. 'We're taking advantage of the house, too.' He took a key from his back pocket and led her into the kitchen of the cottage, where there was a breakfast bar and a small table. 'Stay here,' he told her, kissing her quickly before running up the stairs and leaving her alone. She stood completely still looking back out into the garden, trying to listen to whatever Arthur was doing upstairs, but whatever he was doing he did very quietly. A couple of minutes later she jumped when someone approached her from behind and put their hands over her eyes, but then smiled and relaxed when she remembered who it was.

Arthur led her carefully up the stairs and the landing before pushing a door open and letting both of them into the room. He took the blindfold off her and watched as she gasped as she took in the scene. There was a huge double bed, and everywhere was covered in rose petals and small candles.

'Arthur,' she whispered, turning to him, 'This is beautiful.'

Arthur shrugged and allowed himself to smile. 'I have to give credit to Merlin- he helped me arrange this, to be fair. But this isn't just a birthday present- I want to make it up to you for my first attempt at being romantic being a complete fiasco.'

Gwen smiled sadly. 'It wasn't your fault that your father found us.'

'But... yeah. So, here it is- me, being romantic. Happy birthday, Guinevere.'

She smiled and kissed him. 'Thank you, Arthur. For everything.'

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

They stayed in the cottage until late the next morning, when a car arrived to pick them up and take them back to Cardiff. Arthur was dropped off near the hotel and Gwen was dropped off in a little side street about a ten minute's walk away so that they wouldn't be seen together, and then both of them met up with everyone else in the restaurant for lunch. The rest of Gwen's day was spent shopping with Morgana and Freya, who was quickly becoming a close friend to both of them. The rest of their holiday from filming slipped away before their eyes, and before they knew it Uther had returned from America and filming resumed. Two weeks later was Arthur's birthday, but unfortunately a night shoot had been scheduled, meaning no extravagant celebrations were possible.

Just a few weeks later, however, on May the sixth, filming was once again cancelled for the day. It was the anniversary of Ygraine's death, and completely incidentally, was also the anniversary of Gwen's mother's death.

Arthur and Gwen had spent the night in Gwen's room last night, but when Arthur had got up to return to his own room in the early hours of the morning, Gwen had asked him to stay and he had obeyed. As they lay curled up with the warm sun shining onto them, he realised that this was the first time they had actually spent the entire night in the same bed and had then woken up together and stayed together.

They didn't leave their room all day, and no one pestered them- everyone in Camelot Film Company knew what May the sixth meant. At one point they ordered room service and had a late brunch together, and they showered separately, but apart from that they barely left the bed and stayed cured up under the duvets together. Neither wanted to speak, so neither spoke. Arthur had confessed to Gwen (and she had agreed) that he tended to store up most of his sadness for his mother for this day, so that for most of the time he would be able to live a normal life.

The next morning, they woke up early so that Arthur could return to his room.

'I love you,' he whispered to her before he left, kissing her forehead softly. 'And... and we only have a couple of months left filming. When everything's finished, we're going to go public. I promise.'

She smiled sadly and let him kiss her. 'I know. I love you too.'

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**Well, I think I'd better start off with an apology.**

**Please feel free to punish me in any way you see fit (even voodoo, although I'd prefer it if you didn't) for not updating for so long. I am so, so sorry. In my defence, I have a rather busy life at the moment... ish. I also had severe writer's block, and have lost all my chapter plans for this story, meaning I've had to re-sketch the rest of the plot in my head. Not my finest moment, believe me. **

**Um... what to say about this chapter? I apologise for the mushiness of the last couple of scenes, it nearly made me throw up, but I kind of feel they were necessary. Also, Arthur's promise at the end: yay! They're going to go public soon. That will lead us nicely into the sequel ;)**

**The scene with the picnic with the butterflies I got from Les Mis (the new film version) which I have only seen once and have fallen in love with: the scene where Marius and Cosette sing A Heart Full of Love has a butterfly in, and I thought it was so beautiful and just had to include it. Also in that scene- you may have noticed that while it's Morgana that stitches Arwen up to Uther, it didn't fit with my storyline so Aggravaine is the baddie instead ;)**

**Also: I am going to really, really need your help for the next chapter, guys. Not to give you any spoilers or anything, but I need to write about ComicCon. The problem is, I have no idea how it works. Sure I've seen the videos of the question and answer sessions, but I have no idea how long it lasts for, what the order is for everything, where the guests go, when they arrive, how long the day lasts for (or if it's for more than one day), where it actually is etc. Any help given would be much appreciated, and of course you would be credited in the next chapter!**

**But once again, I also need to say thank you. 177 reviews for just nine chapters is just insane. I thought I would get a hundred at the most, so do I dare hint at 200 again? Honestly, it would make my year! What you actually put in your reviews is also very important to me – I read each one carefully, I promise, to try and see what people's favourite parts are, and then I include more of that. **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

***gasp* oh my god, guys! This is almost the end! I'm really sorry, but this is a mega-long chapter... full author's note at the end, as usual. Enjoy!**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

'I have some news,' Arthur announced, coming and sitting next to Gwen at the round table in the restaurant. 'We're going to San Diego.'

Everyone stared at him and then began to cheer, Merlin and Gwaine being the loudest.

'What's in San Diego?' asked Gwen, reaching for another slice of toast.

'Comic Con,' said Merlin happily. 'It's basically where the most hardcore fans of Camelot go to meet the cast and ask them questions and stuff...'

'They're really eager for sex, too- and they're adventerous,' said Gwaine with a wink. 'Last year when we were there I tried out this position where-'

'It's basically a massive promotional event for Camelot,' Leon intervened. 'We went last year, and it was so much fun.'

'Sounds good,' lied Gwen, looking down at her plate of toast. It looked like she would be stuck in Cardiff while her entire friendship group jetted off to sunny America.

'I hope so, because you're coming too,' said Arthur, grinning, and Gwen looked up.

'Really?'

'Oh, yeah. Merlin always complains that he has no one to hang out with backstage while we're busy being famous, so you can occupy him.'

Gwen grinned. Now San Diego really did sound good.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

They were scheduled to leave in three weeks, meaning that when they came back there would only be a month left of filming. This saddened and worried Gwen. At the end of filming she would be asked to renew her contract with Camelot, but in a way she didn't want to. Even though it was the best job a costume designer could wish for, she knew that if she continued to work for Uther then she would never be able to go public about her relationship with Arthur. Part of her said she shouldn't quit her job just to be with a man, but on the other hand, they had waited for this for so long...

Finally, the day to fly to America arrived. Everyone was packed, and at the crack of dawn they were driven to the airport to be flown across the Atlantic in first class. In a way, this is what had been exciting to Gwen the most- she had never flown in first class before. She sat next to Morgana, so none of the other passengers would be suspicious of why she was sat next to the famous Arthur Pendragon or why Morgana and Leon were so friendly, and they occupied themselves with giggly stories and plenty of fruit pastilles.

When they arrived at the airport and began to walk through the terminal, all were temporarily blinded by the harsh white flashes of the paparazzo's cameras (there were a lot more than there were in Britain) and were then rushed into cars that drove them for a couple of hours when they eventually ended up round the back of a building. With no time to look around the truly wonderful car park, they were hurried inside through empty corridors and into a large room with sofas and coffee machines.

'You'll be in here for a couple of hours to freshen up,' said Sophia, the woman who had escorted them in, 'And the panel doesn't start until four. Toilets are in the room to the left, and several people will be coming to check on you now and again. Okay, I'll leave you to it!' she smiled at all of them and then rushed off again.

'Arthur! Morgana! You made it!'

Everyone turned to see Uther walking towards them from the other side of the room, arms outstretched. He kissed Morgana on the cheek and shook Arthur's hand, but ignored everyone else. 'Father!' said Arthur uncomfortably, glancing over at Gwen. 'What are you doing here?'

'Oh, I've just come to see that everything runs smoothly, and to watch the panel from backstage,' said Uther casually, but no one missed the scathing glare he gave to Gwen when she wasn't looking. 'Just seeing that none of you are... doing anything that you shouldn't be doing. And Arthur, come with me. There's someone I want you to meet.'

He pulled Arthur away from the rest of them, and everyone stared after them as they walked off into a small side-room. 'What do you think they're doing?' asked Gwaine.

Merlin shrugged. 'I haven't heard anything. Come on, Gwen, you're coming with me- see you in a bit, everyone!'

Everyone waved them goodbye as Gwen was pulled out of the room and back through the corridors they had just come through. When they got to the door into the car park, they walked straight past it and instead through some locked doors into a room that was packed with people. A woman was standing at the door as if she was waiting for them and smiled when they arrived. 'Hello, Merlin,' she grinned, kissing him on the cheek and straightening his collar for him. 'And you must be Gwen?'

Gwen nodded, and each of them was handed a card to put around their necks with the words BACKSTAGE PASS written on both. 'There you go,' smiled the woman. 'Now you won't be stopped from going anywhere. Enjoy!'

'Thanks, Hannah,' Merlin grinned, and bounded off in the direction of the food stands with Gwen on his heels, the smell of hot dogs drawing them in. 'Free food for people with backstage passes,' Merlin told Gwen, getting them a hot dog each. 'Come on, I want to show you around.'

Gwen spent the next forty minutes being dragged round various stalls of merchandise – Gwen grinned when she saw a tiny action figure of Arthur, and was almost tempted to buy it – and several of the queuing people glared enviously at their backstage passes. After eating more food and admiring the action figures of their friends, they gradually made their way through the quickly filling room and re-entered the backstage corridors.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Meanwhile, Arthur was waiting in an uncomfortable silence with Uther, who was watching a second door. His father had just informed him that they were waiting for the arrival of Uther's close friend Godwin and his daughter Elena. They were British, but had moved to America when Elena was a baby, as this was where Elena's late mother had been from. Godwin owned several large studios that Camelot used frequently, and Uther and Godwin were extremely close in business.

'It is an exciting day,' said Uther, clapping his hands together, trying to make Arthur look less bored.

Arthur grimaced, trying to keep his father happy. 'The arrival of _Lord_ Godwin is always a cause for celebration,' he said, sarcastically mocking how fond Uther was of his friend.

Uther ignored the jibe. 'And Elena,' he added quickly, smiling.

Arthur grimaced again, looking straight ahead at the door. 'Yes.'

'I hear she is something of a beauty,' pressed Uther.

'Really.' The last time Arthur had met the girl (who was the same age) when they were teenagers, he had found her deeply unattractive, with wild hair and an unfortunate nose.

'Oh, yes,' Uther continued. 'Beautiful. Charming, witty... strategic...'

Arthur frowned. 'Strategic?'

'I have always thought so,' said Uther. 'We have always thought so. That is- Godwin and myself. That is- he finds you strategic, not... Elena.' Uther's voice trailed off.

Arthur stared at his father. 'He finds me... strategic.'

'Oh, yes,' said Uther happily.

'And beautiful?'

Now it was Uther's turn to stare. Before he could reply, the sound of footsteps approaching the door made them both face the door again.

'Father, what are you trying to say?' asked Arthur quickly before the door could open.

'Godwin is a serious ally, the strength of such a match cannot be unrest with,' Uther whispered.

'Please tell me you mean a football match,' said Arthur, his dread for the visit growing.

'I mean a love match,' Uther corrected him.

'_Love?' _said Arthur, his thoughts immediately going to Guinevere.

'Well, not love, love has nothing to do with it... the other bit.'

Arthur continued to stare.

'You know – a permanent union.'

Arthur finally realised what his father was saying. '_Marriage?'_

'I knew you'd understand,' said Uther cheerfully as the door opened and Godwin walked in with his daughter trailing behind.

'Godwin!' said Uther joyfully, embracing his old friend, and Arthur had a chance to look at Elena properly. She was just as unattractive as he remembered, with a frumpy sort of yellow dress and hair that could do with a brush. She had a plain face, and looked like she was enjoying being in this room just as much as he was.

'Oh, it's been too long!' cried Godwin as they pulled apart.

Uther nodded, and turned his attention to Elena. 'Elena,' he gushed. 'You are most welcome.'

Elena attempted to smile and step forwards, but she tripped on the hem of her dress and fell flat on her face at Arthur's feet. He grimaced as she helped herself up and listened to Uther telling them all where they would all be dining tonight, along with Morgana. Until now, he had been looking forward to spending time with Guinevere away from the prying eyes of his father. Now, he wasn't so sure.

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Gwen didn't get to speak to Arthur for the rest of the day, and she knew Uther was to blame. When she and Merlin had arrived back in the green room, Morgana had told them that father and son were meeting with some old family friends, and that Arthur would be having lunch with them in the city, coming back in time for the big interviews and meet and greets in the afternoon. As the rest of them were eating their own rather quiet lunch before heading out to greet the fans and do interviews for online sites, Gwen received a text from Arthur, apologising that he hadn't been able to spend any time with her so far and that he would make it up to her tonight. Smiling, she pocketed her phone and followed Merlin out to the main area of Comic Con, as only the actors would be allowed in the press area.

She was examining a figurine of Morgana more closely when someone tapped her on the shoulder and she turned round to see a man standing behind her. He was her age, maybe a couple of years older, with blonde hair as long as Gwaine's and a completely smooth face, dressed smartly and wearing a BACKSTAGE PASS around his neck to match hers.

'Excuse me,' he said, and she was surprised that he had an English accent. 'I hope you don't mind me asking, but where did you get your dress?'

'Oh.' Flummoxed, she looked down at her own lavender creation. 'I made it.'

'Really?' the man looked impressed, and looked her up and down as he clutched his hands to his chest. 'Darling, you look _fabulous. _Spin for me.'

Bemused, Gwen turned quickly on the spot as he took in every angle of the dress. 'Is this the only thing you've made?' he asked.

'Um, no, I made pretty much everything that I wear,' said Gwen.

The man gasped. 'Well, I must see them! I can hear your accent, but do you live here, or...?'

'Oh, no, I'm just here for the convention. I have a flat in London, but I'm working in Cardiff for a couple of months at the moment.'

'Works in Cardiff... at a Camelot film convention... oh my god! Do you work for Camelot Film Company?' the man looked as if he was about to die from excitement. With a grin, Gwen nodded, and the man clapped his hands again.

'I take it you're a costume designer?' he asked, still admiring her dress. She nodded.

'And I suppose you're head of the department?'

'Oh- no.'

'What?' the man looked aghast. 'Why haven't you been promoted yet?'

'I don't suppose I ever will be. Uther hates me,' she blurted out, and then clapped her hands over her mouth. 'Oh god. Please don't tell anyone I just told you that.'

'My lips are sealed, darling.' He mimed zipping his mouth shut. 'But I must say...' he leaned in a little closer, and she smelt a very expensive-smelling cologne on his tailored suit. 'It seems such a shame to waste a talent like yours on _costumes. _Have you thought about starting your own line?'

'Oh,' said Gwen, taken aback. 'Well, a couple of people have suggested it to me...' she didn't mention that it was Morgana who had suggested it in case this man exploded at the mention of the name.

'Do it!' said the man enthusiastically, eyes shining. 'And if you're worried about how to get started, don't worry, because I have _plenty _of contacts. Why, even my cousin I dragged here today works for an agency, and he's looking for someone new to manage... hey, Lancelot! Over here!'

He waved to a man who was making his way over from the drinks stand, and Gwen's eyes nearly fell out of her head when she saw who it was. His dark hair was as long as Gwaine's and when his chocolate coloured eyes met hers, they widened and he smiled. 'Gwen?' he asked in shock.

She laughed. 'Lancelot!' they hugged tightly for a long moment before looking at each other properly.

'You two know each other?' the first man asked.

'We went to university together,' said Gwen, smiling. 'Oh, this is so surreal! What are you doing here?'

'I'm staying with Jahmene here, my cousin, and he wanted to bring me to Comic Con while I'm out here. And you?'

'I work for Camelot now. I'm one of their costume designers, and they asked me along for the trip. We go back tomorrow afternoon, I think.'

'Are you free tonight, then?' asked Jahmene. 'We have dinner reservations at my boyfriend's restaurant, and it would be a perfect opportunity to talk to you about getting you a manager...'

'You want a manager?' Lancelot asked.

Gwen blushed. 'Your cousin thinks I should set up my own fashion line. It's silly, but...'

'Did you make what you're wearing now?'

'Um, yes.'

'Well, with designs as beautiful as that, you should definitely look into it. But even if nothing comes of our discussions, it would be really nice to catch up properly.' Lancelot looked at her hopefully, and she found herself wavering. Arthur would be out for dinner himself, anyway, and it would be quite nice to catch up with an old university friend...

'Okay,' she found herself saying as they exchanged phone numbers. 'I'll see you both tonight.'

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

'Good evening,' said Arthur with a smile when he opened the door to her. In truth, it was actually nearly midnight, but Arthur had been taken to a restaurant with Godwin, Elena and Uther and had only arrived back in the hotel half an hour ago. Gwen had arrived back from her dinner with Jahmene and Lancelot just fifteen minutes before.

'Wow,' said Gwen in amazement as she stepped inside. Arthur's room (except it wasn't just one room: there was a bar, a bed area, a walk-in wardrobe and a bathroom to the left) was so much more tasteful looking than her own, with plush cream rugs and crystal wine coolers and televisions and an impressive film collection all screaming money at her. Arthur scratched his head, grimacing. 'I know, it's a bit much for just one night.'

'It's beautiful, though,' said Gwen truthfully. There was some music playing in the background, she noted- something as beautiful as the room with just a guitar and a single voice. She went over to sit on the king-sized golden bed on the other side of the room when Arthur stopped her, pulling her closer to him by the hand.

'Actually,' he murmured, linking their fingers together, 'I was hoping we could go into the bathroom instead.'

'The bathroom?' she said, and let herself be taken through to find a bathroom that was nearly as big as the bedroom. In the corner was a bubbling jacuzzi with champagne in ice stood next to it. 'Oh, Arthur...'

He pressed his torso against her back as he came to stand behind her. 'Good idea or bad idea?'

She turned and kissed him softly. 'Very, very good idea,' she whispered. She felt him smile into the kiss as she began to untie his tie, leading him over to the jacuzzi all the while.

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'Cheers,' they both said with a content smile, clinking glasses before sipping their champagne. 'So how was dinner?' Gwen asked after a moment.

Arthur grimaced. 'Father's trying to set me up with Godwin's daughter, Elena.' He saw Gwen stiffen, and added, 'Don't worry, I would never go for her, especially now I've got you.' He found her hand in the water and lifted it to kiss her knuckles softly, satisfied when she finally smiled again.

'Good,' she said softly. 'Because I don't planning on letting you go any time soon.'

'Oh, and good news- Camelot's upgrading to some bigger studios in London for the next film, so you'll be able to live at home during the next film! Isn't that great? We'll be staying at each other's flats instead of hotel rooms...'

'I'm not renewing my contract with Camelot next year,' she blurted out, and he stared at her.

'What?'

'I'm not renewing my contract,' she repeated. 'So I won't be on set for the sequel, which means we'll probably never get to work together again.'

'Oh. Why are you-'

'I met an old friend from uni today at the convention, Lancelot DuLac,' she said. 'He's a manager, and he was with his cousin who lives here and adores all the Camelot films, who noticed the dress I was wearing. We got talking, and the three of us went out to dinner while you were with Elena, and he wants to be my manager if I set up my own fashion business. He says he has contacts all around the world, and that he thinks he could get me spots on the catwalks, and online sites could be set up, and he could get me a promotion team...'

'Wow.' He looked up at her, and she was surprised to see him smiling. 'You're going to set up your own business? You're going to be a designer?'

She frowned. 'I thought you wouldn't want me to leave.'

'Guinevere, I...' he swallowed, but continued to smile. 'Of course I don't want you to go. Of course I want to carry on seeing you every day on set, and having an excuse to be around you all the time, but... this has always been your dream, and I'm not going to try and stop you. I know I'm not much of a fashion expert, but everyone's been saying how amazing your costumes are, and I know you're making Morgana's premiere dress for her, so... well, go for it.'

'You're not upset?'

'I've seen you on set, Guinevere. You hate my father.'

'I don't-'

'Yes, you do,' he smiled. 'Don't worry, I don't hate you for it. I honestly don't mind. But we both know that you couldn't continue working for someone like him. Honestly, I'm happy for you.'

She finally allowed herself to smile. 'Really?'

He leant over and kissed. 'Really. But there's something I need to talk to you about, too.'

'Oh?'

'Yeah.' He bit his lip. 'After we've finished shooting, me and Gwaine are going over to America again to promote our last film Silver coming out over there.'

'Okay.' She nodded. 'Um, have fun?'

'No, that's not the point. I'm going to be gone for a few months. Maybe a year.'

Gwen suddenly went very still. 'Oh.'

'So I don't know what's going to happen between us... I mean, you're going to be making a name for yourself, and I'm going to be in another country...'

'Right.'

'What... what do you want to do?'

She bit her lip. 'I don't know. I don't know if this could work, long distance, for an entire year. I mean, I'm going to be busy all the time. And yeah, we could phone, and text, but there are the time zone differences...'

'You don't know whether to trust me,' he guessed.

She bit her lip again. 'I'm sorry. I do trust you, I just don't trust the people you'll be with. There are all those blonde girls in America that you slept with, and I won't be there...'

He leant forwards and kissed her. They pulled apart but rested their foreheads against each other. 'Guinevere Leodgrace,' he said quietly. 'You are... the love of my life. And I didn't realise it until now, but I honestly do not want to be with another woman ever again.'

For a moment she was speechless, and in reply she simply kissed him. They were going to be all right. He loved her and she loved him, that was enough. Yes, they'd be in different continents for nearly a year, but why would that affect them?

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

'So,' said Arthur quietly. 'I suppose this is goodbye.'

It was the official wrap party of the film, with the final scene on location having been filmed earlier in the day. Camelot had somehow been allowed permission to close a beach to have to themselves for the night. Now, at just after three in the morning, people were beginning to leave and Arthur and Gwen were walking into the sand dunes, out of sight from everyone else, before Arthur was to be picked up by a car to take him to the airport. He would be leaving for America in just six hours.

They stopped walking and looked at each other properly. 'When are you back?' whispered Gwen.

He shrugged. 'I spoke to my father, and he's stretching it out to eight months. Maybe nine.' He paused, and swore under his breath. 'You know what? I don't want this to be goodbye.'

She breathed a sigh of relief. 'Me neither. I... I don't ever want to have to say goodbye to you.'

He leant forwards and kissed her gently. 'This whole taking a break thing? It really isn't going to work, is it?'

Gwen shook her head. 'It's going to be hard to make this work, though. We can't just be around each other in a group every day, we can't catch up at dinner... we'd have to make calls to different time zones, we'd have to know each other's schedules... it's going to be a lot of effort.'

He smiled and kissed her again. 'You know what? It'll be a lot easier than losing all contact with you for a year. I don't... I don't even want to go! I want to stay here forever, and never go to America again! I can't believe my father's organised this! I'm barely in the film! I-'

He stopped talking when Gwen pressed her lips against his firmly, pushing her body up against his and making him lose his train of thought. When she pulled away, he saw she was smiling slightly. 'Don't work yourself up,' she said quietly. 'You've got to go. We're going to spend a year apart, and you're going to make millions of pounds from this DVD release and promote Camelot even more, and I'm going to set up my business, and then we'll meet up when you come back and sort ourselves out, okay? If we still feel the same way about each other then we'll go to the premiere together, and if not... well, we had fun, didn't we?'

Arthur stared at her. 'Guinevere,' he said slowly, 'I will never stop feeling this way about you. Never. I want... I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a proposal, but... one day we'll get married, and have kids, and grow old together...'

She smiled, and they kissed again slowly. 'I know. Just... well, don't get drunk and sleep with strippers while you're in America, all right?'

He laughed. 'I'm never having that lifestyle again.'

'Arthur!'

Uther's voice came through the darkness over the speakers, making them both jump. 'Arthur, the cars are here.'

Arthur swallowed. 'Coming!' he called, and then turned back to Guinevere.

'I love you,' he whispered.

'I love you, too,' she replied, and they kissed one last time before he let go of her hands and walked back towards the party.

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_Look up my interview with Leonard Hall. Think it might interest you. Call me when you've watched it? x_

It had been three months since the wrap party. Three months since she had last seen Arthur, felt his touch, kissed him, made love to him, breathed in his scent. They called each other every now and again, but both their schedules were so hectic that there wasn't really enough time to properly keep in touch. Gwen missed him, but she knew their agreement to stay together but not rely on constant updates had been the right the thing to do, because it would have been impossible. This was the first text she had received from him for weeks.

Confused, she searched for the clip on YouTube and was surprised to find that the video had nearly a million hits already. She checked when it had been put up, and saw it had only been broadcasted last night. A million hits in a day? He must have said something very interesting. Frowning, she settled back in her bed and put her headphones in to watch the clip.

'So, Arthur Pendragon,' said Leonard with a beaming smile once the crowd had stopped screaming. 'You seem to have quite a loud set of fans here.'

In response, the crowd began to scream again, and Arthur grinned. 'Yeah, they're pretty loud. But I love them, I really do.'

The crowd cheered again.

Leonard talked to him about Silver for a minute before the conversation turned to the new film. 'So that's not the only project you've been working on...'

'Yeah, we just finished shooting our new one that comes out next year about a month and a half ago.'

'And I understand that the majority of this was filmed on location.'

'Yeah.' Arthur shifted in his chair. 'We shot a lot of it in a castle in France, and then a lot on location in Wales, both of which are excellent places... I reckon there are only about ten or fifteen scenes that are in front of a green screen in this film. It's brilliant, actually, because it really does make you feel like the story is real when you're on these amazing locations...'

'But because of how famous you all are, were there problems with fans appearing on location and distracting you all?'

Arthur chuckled. 'We have great security that cornered off the locations to stop them getting too close, so it wasn't too bad when we were actually filming, but when we were arriving or leaving or whatever, they were just... well, they were pretty mental. Honestly, they don't leave you alone.'

'They're quite interested in your personal life as well as your career, aren't they?'

'Oh, yeah.' Arthur rubbed the back of his neck. 'Perhaps more than my career, I think. And they always find me! I don't know how they do it!'

The crowd laughed.

'One aspect the fans are most interested in about you, Arthur, is your love life.'

The crows cheered again, and Arthur grinned, embarrassed. 'Yeah, they're a bit obsessed, actually.'

'I suppose they're quite surprised about how you've been behaving recently...'

'They are?'

'Well, before you started shooting this new film you were famous for your partying and drinking, and the amount of girls you were always with...'

An infamous picture appeared on the screen next to them that had been taken about two years ago, with a blonde on Arthur's lap who had her tongue down his throat. Arthur was holding a champagne bottle in one hand while his other was holding the bikini-clad woman tighter, and the two were surrounded by other similarly dressed (or undressed) women as they all sprayed champagne in the air. Arthur groaned as the crowd wolf-whistled, and grinned sheepishly at Leonard. 'Yeah, those days are long gone,' he said firmly. 'I've grown up now.'

'It appears so, because in the past eighteen months, you have only been seen with one woman. This woman, in fact.'

Another picture replaced the first one, and Gwen gasped when she realised it was the one of her and Arthur kissing in the not-so-dark corner of that club from a few months ago, the dress halfway up her thigh with his hands at the bottom of her back and hers wrapped around his neck. The camera had been taken from such an angle that whilst it was clearly Arthur, Gwen's face was hidden in shadow and could not be made out. Arthur smiled again as the crowd wolf-whistled once more.

Once they had died down, Leonard spoke again. 'There have been reports that this isn't just another fling, that this might be something more. Are the reports true?'

Arthur paused. 'Yes,' he said eventually with a small smile. 'Yes, the reports are true.'

The crowd gasped and then began to cheer wildly, and Arthur continued to grin as they quietened down. Leonard smirked at him. 'So for the first time ever, are you in a serious relationship?'

'I am indeed.' Arthur was _still _smiling.

'And how long has this been going on, may I ask?'

'Oh, about a year, maybe.'

'A year? _A whole year? _Why has no one found out anything before now?'

'Well, I suppose we've just been very good at hiding it. Not always, as you can see, but...' he sighed. 'I dunno, it's been very difficult, and especially for her, I think. We couldn't go out in public because the paparazzi wouldn't leave us alone, so I couldn't take her out for dinner or to the cinema, or other normal things...'

'So I take it she isn't famous?'

'No, she's not. Well, not yet, anyway.'

'What, she'll become famous when people find out who she is?'

'Well, that too, I suppose... but she's a rising star, Leonard. You're going to be hearing about her a lot very soon, I can promise you that.'

'Ooh, the anticipation grows!' said Leonard eagerly. 'But you said she wasn't famous. How on earth is your father coping with this? I know he's very focused on the brand of Camelot not being tarnished by outsiders, so to speak...'

Arthur grinned. 'He doesn't know.'

The crowd gasped collectively, as did Leonard. 'So this interview will be the first he'll hear about this?'

'Well, kind of. They've met... sort of. It's complicated.'

'You think he'll approve?'

'No.' Arthur looked down. 'But I was speaking with Morgana the other day, and we decided that I should be allowed to date whoever I want, and I don't want it to affect my working relationship with him, so...'

'Ooh, the tension grows!' said Leonard, making the audience laugh. 'So you've been together for a year...'

'Yes.'

'It's getting pretty serious, then?'

Arthur grinned. 'Yeah, I'm pretty much in love.'

The crowd aww'd, and Arthur looked across at Leonard sheepishly.

'And is it... is it too early for me to start humming?'

Arthur looked confused. 'Humming?'

Leonard began to hum the wedding march, and Arthur laughed. 'Not just yet. One day, but not yet.'

'All right, then. We're nearly out of time, but before we go can you reveal the name of your mystery lady?'

Arthur shook his head. 'Sorry. She's making a name for herself, and then we're going public. I don't want her to be known as my girlfriend, I want her to be known as who she is.'

'All right, then, you killjoy. Arthur Pendragon, everybody!' the two men shook hands before Arthur left the stage and Leonard began to introduce his next guest.

Gwen switched off her laptop and sat in silence for a minute. Arthur had gone public... well, sort of. She picked up her phone and rang his number, listening to the rings. After the third dial, he picked up. 'You watched it?' were his first words.

She sat up straighter. 'Yes.'

'Look, before you shout at me, I'm so so sorry. I didn't stop to think about what you wanted, and if you want me to deny everything I've said then that's fine, and I know we're technically on a break, I honestly don't mind... I just...'

'Arthur, I'm not angry,' she interrupted him, and he stopped.

'You're not?'

She laughed. 'Of course I'm not angry. You didn't say my name, and you didn't ask them to put up that picture of us. You had to respond to that picture at some point, I suppose.'

'You're really not angry,' he sounded amazed. 'Wow. Uh, so how have you been? I haven't really spoken to you for a while.'

'Oh, not bad. I'm very busy, Lancelot's trying to pull some strings to get my line on the catwalk for the London Fashion Week...'

'That's amazing!'

'Yeah, it is,' she grinned. 'What about you? How's America?'

'It's, you know... pretty cool. But I wish you were here. I miss you.'

Gwen paused, and smiled. 'I miss you too. Just six months until you're back, though.'

'I know. Six months is far too long. I want to see you today.'

'It'll be worth it,' she promised, and then smirked. 'Think of how sexually frustrated we'll both be by the time you get back, neither of us having sex for a whole nine months...'

'That's it. I'm getting on a plane right now.'

She laughed. 'Patience, Arthur.'

'Patience is overrated,' he muttered. There was silence for a moment. 'Have you spoken to Leon recently?' he asked suddenly.

'Er, no. Why?'

'Okay, if I tell you a secret, do you promise not to tell anyone?'

'Cross my heart,' she said, intrigued.

'He's going to propose to Morgana.'

Gwen gasped. 'Oh, my god! When? How? Has he bought a ring? Does Uther know?'

'Yeah, he came over here last week to have dinner with Dad and I- said he wanted to ask for both of our permission because he knows how protective I am of Morgana. You can't tell anyone, though, I wasn't even supposed to tell you.'

'My lips are sealed,' she promised. 'Oh, that's so exciting! They'll be so happy together... and how's all the promotion stuff going? Is Gwaine is enjoying himself?'

'Promotion's going well, we've got record numbers of orders for the DVD.' Arthur paused for a moment. 'I'm a bit worried about Gwaine, though.'

'Why, what's happened?'

'Nothing in particular, he's just a bit... distant. I mean, whenever we go out he's always brought girls back to the hotel, and he's always drank, but now he's doing it a different way. Before, he was always a happy drunk, but now he just has this really dark look in his eyes, and there are a _lot _more women. I mean, two or three every night of the week, and never the same ones. And he's not making jokes any more, and he's made friends with these people who I really don't trust, and he's been turning up to interviews late without an excuse...'

'Do you think he's just homesick?' asked Gwen. 'If he came back here for a week or so, do you think it would help?'

'Maybe. I think having the lead role in the film might be a bit overwhelming, although he seemed fine when it premiered...'

'Just promise me you'll keep an eye on him?'

'I promise.' There was the sound of another voice in the background, and Arthur swore. 'I've got to go- press conference. I'll ring you tomorrow, okay? I love you.'

'I love you, too,' she said quickly before the line went dead. Smiling, she set her phone down and went back to sketching out designs for a new line Lancelot thought she should add if she was going to be in London Fashion Week.

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Gwaine drained his can and threw it across the room before turning back to look at the blonde woman next to him. He couldn't remember a thing about last night except that his dealer had been there and had given him something to take for a _very _reasonable price. America was good, he thought to himself. On this side of the Atlantic, it was easier not to think about how Freya loved Merlin and not him, alcohol flowed more freely and it was cheaper to get high. Maybe he should move out here for good, he thought to himself. Life wasn't good, but it was satisfying. He no longer lived to see Freya's face in the morning, but for the parties and the drinks and the adrenaline rushes.

No, he corrected himself. Life was _definitely _good.

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'Miss Leodgrace!'

Gwen span round to see one of her make-up artists rushing towards her. It was London Fashion Week, and by some small miracle Lancelot had pulled enough strings to get her line onto the main catwalk. From behind the curtain, fifteen minutes before the show was due to start, she could hear the buzz of the crowds loud and clear, and she was ready to throw up. 'Miss Leodgrace,' the man repeated once he reached her, 'We have an emergency.'

'What?' Gwen's head immediately began to fill with scenarios such as models having food poisoning, or an allergic reaction to the hair products, or-

'We can't find an eyeshadow suitable for Annabelle's look.'

Gwen breathed a sigh of relief. Something that could be fixed. She let herself be led into the dressing room, where the five other models hand-picked by Gwen from one of London's top modelling agency- Cara, Poppy, Alice, Kate and Lucinda- were clustered around Annabelle as the make-up artists argued about which shade of green would compliment her dress more. 'Girls!' Gwen called as she entered the room, and everyone turned to face her. Gwen nearly keeled over in shock at the sight.

They had_ destroyed _her designs. Earlier, she had specifically told the make-up artists that she wanted the outfits to have the main impact, not the face. She wanted natural beauty, loose hair, minimal make-up. Now, with her models having had their faces caked in god-knows-what, complete with smoky eyes and dark red lips, she didn't know what to do.

'Okay,' she said quietly, her staff hanging onto her every word. 'I heard you're having trouble deciding what eyeshadow to use for Annabelle?'

The make-up artists nodded nervously, with the rest of the models looking on anxiously. They all looked ridiculous, Gwen realised. And then she had a brainwave. 'Where are the make-up wipes?' she asked the head of make-up. The woman picked up the pack of wipes from the dressing table and handed them to Gwen. She sat down in the chair next to Annabelle and began to wipe off the various bits of eyeshadow that had already been put on. Then went the lipstick. And the mascara. And the powder. And the foundation. Two minutes later, Annabelle sat in front of her completely bare-faced and looking slightly bewildered. 'There,' said Gwen. 'Who's next?'

One by one, the models had all their make-up taken off by Gwen until they all stood in front of her, completely bare-faced. 'These are the girls I hired,' said Gwen softly. 'I didn't ask you to come to the audition with a full face of make-up. I asked you to come with minimal or no make-up, because I need natural beauty. Okay?'

The models all nodded silently. A man appeared in the doorway. 'Time to line up,' he said, and Gwen nodded. 'Come on, then,' she said with a smile. 'Showtime.'

And that was the day the Guinevere Leodgrace Designs made catwalk history: by putting out models with no make-up, no styled hair, and simply showing off the clothes that had been designed.

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There came a knock on the door, and Gwen jumped, having been dozing off in front of the television in her small flat. Rubbing her eyes, she checked her watch. It was quarter to one in the morning. Who on earth would be knocking on her door at this hour?

She opened the door cautiously and felt her mouth drop open. In front of her stood Arthur, blonde hair slightly shorter than she remembered, some stubble on his chin, and half a dozen red roses in his hand. 'These are for you,' he managed to get out before she attacked him, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. He staggered slightly and then walked into the flat, shutting the door behind him, throwing the roses down onto the ground and then leaning back against the door for support. 'Oh, my god,' she whispered into his ear, her hot breath sending shivers down his spine. 'What are you doing here? You said you wouldn't be back until next week!'

'Surprise,' he grinned, setting her down on her feet again. 'So how have you been?'

She stared up at him. 'Arthur,' she said slowly, 'I haven't had sex for nearly nine months...'

He grinned, bringing their bodies closer. Suddenly his lips were crashing down on hers and his hands were _everywhere_, unbuttoning her shirt, running through her hair, running up and down her back, exploring her shoulders, her breasts, her stomach, her waist...

After several hours(? Weeks? Months?) they were laying across Gwen's bed, her head on his blanket-covered lap with him absently stroking her hair away from her face. She looked up at him drowsily. 'Hi,' she whispered.

'Hi,' he whispered back. There was silence for a couple of minutes. 'Nice flat, by the way,' he said casually, looking around her bedroom.

She laughed. 'Thanks.'

'I hear you made history in the fashion world last week.'

Gwen shrugged. 'I honestly don't see why they made such a big deal about it. I wasn't trying to make a statement, or anything. I'm in trouble with the make-up company we used, though, because they sponsored us and then I refused to use their products.'

He laughed. 'Well, I saw the pictures. It was on the front cover of all the American magazines too, you know.'

'Yeah, Lance mentioned something about that.'

'Lance? Oh, your manager. How's it going with him?' Arthur tried to sound casual, but failed miserably.

Gwen looked up at him and smiled. 'Don't worry, I have no intention of sleeping with him.'

'I know,' he lied. 'Just... well, you're the most beautiful woman on the planet, so I'd kind of be offended if he hadn't thought about it at least once, but don't make me go all over-protective boyfriend on him, will you?'

She tried not to blush at the off-hand compliment and kissed his bare chest, which happened to be the nearest bit of skin to her. 'You have nothing to worry about,' she assured him. 'I love you, and only you.'

'Well, that's good to know,' he said as he continued to stroke her hair, 'Because I don't know if you've noticed, but several trailers for The Sword in the Stone have been playing online and in cinemas.'

'Funnily enough, I did notice, yes,' she said with a smile.

'Which means that a premiere's going to happen soon.'

'How soon?'

'In one month and three days. Still fancy going public in the most dramatic way possible, and simultaneously managing to piss my father off?'

'Arthur, I don't want to come between you and your father.'

'Look, if he can't accept me being happy with the woman I love, then his life is going to be made extremely difficult. You must have read the articles about this sudden, famous, beautiful, talented fashion designer called Guinevere Leodgrace. The public, even though they don't know who you are, are already falling in love with you. He'll make a lot of people very unhappy if he gives you the cold shoulder.'

She paused. 'All right, then.'

'So we'll go to the premiere together?'

'Yes. It's not like Uther can sack me anymore...' and she would have continued speaking had Arthur not have bent down to kiss her soundly once more.

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Everything was set in place. Tonight was the night they were going public.

Gwen was getting ready in the London hotel that everyone was being picked up from, Arthur's room opposite to hers and Morgana's to her left. She was in Morgana's room now, slipping her blindfolded friend into the dress that she had made for her. 'All right,' she said once the zip had been done up. 'You can take the blindfold off.'

Morgana took off the blindfold, looked in the full-length mirror and gasped. The deep green dress shimmered in the light, flowing behind her onto the floor and rustling slightly when she moved. She turned to see the dress was backless, and skintight before flowing out below the hips. 'Oh, my god,' she whispered, turning to see it from all angles. 'Oh my god oh my god oh my god...'

Gwen bit her lip. 'Do you like it?' she asked worriedly.

Morgana turned to face her, eyes filled with tears. 'It's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen,' she managed to get out before crushing Gwen in a hug, who laughed and tried to escape. 'Why you haven't had your own business right from the beginning is beyond me. Thank you so much!'

'That's all right,' Gwen smiled, and then took a step backwards to admire her work once more. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and get dressed...'

'Of- of course.' Morgana bit her lip and turned back towards the mirror. Gwen frowned.

'Are you all right?' she asked, concerned.

'Yes. No. If I tell you something, do you swear not to tell anyone else?' she said this all very quickly and quietly, despite the fact that the rest of the hair and make-up team had left the room now that their work was done.

Gwen nodded curiously.

'Okay. Okay.' Morgana took a deep breath. 'Well, Leon asked me to marry him.' Another pause. 'And I said yes.'

Gwen gasped. 'Oh, that's fantastic! Congratulations!'

'Really?' Morgana looked relieved. 'You don't think it's too soon?'

'If it was anyone else, I'd say that they were mad and that they were rushing into things and that they hadn't properly thought things through. But you and Leon... well, you're perfect for each other. Congratulations,' she smiled again. 'Are you going to wear the ring tonight?'

'That's what I'm not sure about. Leon says he's happy to tell the world whenever I am, but I've loved having this secret hidden from the press for so long, and...'

'You've got to let them know at some point,' Gwen reasoned.

'I suppose it is a night for letting the world know certain things,' said Morgana. 'I mean, you're going public with Arthur, too...'

'Yeah.' Gwen took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. 'But god, I'm so nervous.'

'You have nothing to be nervous about,' Morgana reassured her. 'The public love you. You've made history on the catwalk. Your online stock sold out within twenty-four hours. You've been asked to make a designer line to meet demands.'

'It's not the public I'm worried about, Morgana. It's Uther.'

'What's Uther going to do? Sack you? Reduce your pay? Demote you? You don't work for him any more, Gwen. He has no power over you.'

'But he does!' Gwen insisted. 'He's Arthur's father! I don't care what Arthur says, he still loves him, and he still influences his decisions...'

'Gwen, I've seen the way Arthur looks at you. It's the way I look at Leon. You have nothing to worry about. Trust me.' The two women hugged before Gwen left to get changed in her own room. There, she found two good luck texts: one from Merlin, who had assured her that everything would be fine, and from her father, who she and Arthur had had dinner with last night to explain what they were about to do. This way, they reasoned, he wouldn't be shocked to see his daughter's face splashed across every newspaper in the country, despite already having to get used to hearing his daughter's name in every overheard conversation about London Fashion Week.

Once dressed, with her hair styled down her back and just a touch of make-up, Gwen stepped out into the corridor at the exact moment that Arthur did the same thing. His eyes widened when he saw her. 'Wow,' he said quietly.

The dress was long and flowed out towards the ground in red velvet, encrusted with golden threaded detail up and down the main bodice. The straps went horizontally across her forearms instead of along her shoulders, enhancing her chest subtly. She was practically _glowing._

'Do you like it?' she asked worriedly, turning from side to side. 'I wasn't sure if it was too much...'

'It's... well, it's perfect,' he said honestly. 'Let's just skip the premiere and go to my room...' he leant in to kiss her and she pulled away, laughing.

'I don't think that would be the best idea,' she said, taking him by the hand as they began to walk down the corridor.

'Why not? There's room service, we wouldn't ever have to leave,' he said. Eventually they reached the back entrance of the hotel from which they would be driven to Leicester Square in the limousines (Arthur had explained earlier that using the back entrance meant they could avoid the hysterical fans at the front). The chauffeur opened the car door for them and they climbed in, and as they were driven off, Arthur noticed Gwen becoming quieter and quieter.

'Are you all right?' he asked, putting her hands in his.

'I've never been this nervous in my entire life,' she said honestly.

'You'll be fine,' he said. 'Just don't answer any questions that you don't want to, stay close to me, smile, and do as the cameras tell you. You get used to it, honestly.'

She nodded, not entirely convinced. After a painful few minutes, the car slowed to a halt and Gwen could suddenly hear the deafening screams of the fans outside. Arthur kissed her softly. 'I love you,' he whispered. 'You'll be fine.'

'I know,' she whispered back, and then Arthur's door opened. He stepped outside onto the red carpet, and despite still being inside, Gwen heard the screams go louder and saw the camera flashes go wild, especially when they realised that for the first time ever, there was someone that Arthur was sharing his limousine with. She watched him wave to the fans for a moment before reaching back into the car and offering her his hand. She took a deep breath and took it, stepping outside into the madness, knowing now that there was no turning back.

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**So, guys, just the epilogue left :'(**

**Don't panic, though – there's going to be a sequel! I've already started it, so hopefully you won't have to wait too long.**

**Yeah. We're nearly at 200 reviews for ten chapters- if we could make it by the time this story finishes, I could die from happiness. I won't, though- I've still got the sequel to write!**

**Um, yeah. Bit of a cliffhanger with Gwaine's storyline there... I wonder how that will turn out in the sequel... ;) **

**Also, I didn't realise how long it had been since I had updated, and I'm very ashamed of myself. Originally this chapter was two separate ones, which is why it's taken so long, but yeah. You will never have to wait this long again unless I'm dying or something equally severe, such as lack of internet. But anyway, think of this as an early Christmas present!**

**I'll do the big thank yous at the end of the epilogue which will be up in a few days, so until then please follow/favourite/review me/this story!**


	12. Chapter 12

**So, here it is. The last thing I'll post for this story.**

**I've been writing Forbidden for just under two years now, and the response I've had from you guys has been awesome. For all of you that have reviewed, favourited, followed or even just read this story: thank you SO much. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I especially want to thank the reviewers, as your feedback influences so much of what I include in the next chapter.**

**As promised, I'm writing the sequel for this- it's going to be called Into the Limelight, and if there's anything in particular that you'd like me to include, please let me know in a review and I'll do my best to include it at some point. If you're not already following me, add me to your Author Alert list and the sequel should be up in just a few weeks. **

**(Also, I have something that's half-finished floating around on my laptop. It's a one-shot about Morgana and Leon's relationship, right from when they first met to throughout their story in Forbidden. If you'd be interested in reading that too, let me know in a review!)**

**Have fun, and happy new year! Xxx**

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_SORRY, LADIES – IT LOOKS LIKE FORMER LADIES' MAN ARTHUR PENDRAGON IS FINALLY OFF THE MARKET_

_When Arthur Pendragon arrived at the premiere of his new film The Sword in the Stone last night, she shocked fans on the red carpet by bringing a date with him, the first time he has ever had company at an event- and the lucky lady is none other than Guinevere Leodgrace, the rising star of the fashion world. _

_Arthur, 27, openly told reporters that she is "my beautiful, talented girlfriend" and had been "for over a year". If this is true, then their relationship is surely one of the best-kept secrets in showbiz history. So how on earth did they manage it?_

_Well, Morgana LeFay was more than happy to spill the beans on her adoptive brother's not-so-new girlfriend. '[Guinevere]'s a very close friend of mine,' she told our reporter on the red carpet. 'She was my costume designer for this fil, and once you've seen it, you'll understand why she's making a name for herself.' So if Guinevere (known as Gwen to her friends) is so close to her, did she know about their secret relationship? 'Not at first,' Morgana admitted. 'When I first found out, it was a bit of a shock, because Gwen's such an amazing person and Arthur's a prat. But I see it now. They fit together.'_

_[To read about the long-awaited reveal of Morgana's own well-speculated relationship with co-star Leon Knight and their shock engagement announcement, turn to page six.]_

_The dresses worn by Morgana and Gwen are both designs of Gwen herself, something that wasn't revealed until after the premiere. _

_And it was clear to see how besotted Arthur is with his new girlfriend- he barely took his eyes off her all night, and there wasn't a single moment that the pair didn't either have their arms wrapped round each other's or were holding hands as they posed for pictures. As for Gwen, she seemed perfectly at ease with her new-found fame, happily talking to fans over the barriers and signing autographs, although refused to answer any questions asked by the press. _

_One person who didn't seem too happy with Arthur's choice of date, however, was Uther Pendragon, executive producer of the film and Arthur's father. Uther has famously said in the past that any "members of the general public" (i.e. anyone wasn't born into an already famous family) would not be allowed to "bask in the glory of the hard work of the actors, producers and directors of Camelot films". It came as no surprise, then, that Uther completely blanked Gwen and Arthur all night and, as usual, refused to answer any questions or sign any autographs._

_So it seems that Arthur bringing a "common" date to such a public event was an act of rebellion against his father's old-fashioned ways. Having received criticism in the past for echoing his father's views in interviews, he will have surely gained a large amount of respect from the general public. _

_The fact that Gwen was able to greet the rest of the cast so easily suggests that she's also been spending plenty of time with Arthur's friends, as well as his adoptive sister._

'_Gwen's amazing,' Gwaine Noble, another star of the film, told our reporter on the red carpet. 'Arthur's not as much of a d*** when he's around her,' he laughed. 'She keeps him in line. He's completely whipped.'_

_When we asked Arthur if he was in fact "whipped" as his co-star and friend had said, he appeared extremely offended as Gwen burst out laughing next to him. 'Absolutely not,' he insisted. 'Oh, I'm going to kill him. Where is he?'_

_Well, if Gwen has fitted in so easily into the famously tight-knit friendship group of Arthur (including Gwaine, Morgana, other co-stars Leon Knight and Percival King, as well as Arthur's assistant), their relationship must be pretty serious._

_All we can do now is wait and see what happens in the months that are to come. We wish Arthur and Gwen- who have already christened "Arwen" by the online newspapers by the end of the nigh- the best of luck. Gwen, you're a lucky girl, and if you listen very closely, you'll be able to hear the sound of thousands of teenage girl's hearts breaking... _


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